DEPENDENCE ON SUCCESSFUL FISHING. 26 3 



departure in a body to the eastward, to make the long journey to 

 Colville River, and to Barter Point, many of the others following in 

 small parties to scatter themselves over the land in search of deer, 

 and over the lakes and rivers for birds and fish. About one-fourth 

 of the population remains at the village, catching abundance of 

 small seals, but chiefly looking out for those of a larger size, and 

 walrus, until the whales re-appear in the end of August, soon after 

 which, most of the travellers return from their wanderings to com- 

 mence another year. At midsummer, when the sun has been some 

 time above the horizon, the snow becomes soft and the rivers begin 

 to flow, so that travelling or the pursuit of game is too fatiguing to 

 be successfully carried on ; this season, therefore, like midwinter, 

 becomes necessarily one of comparative idleness, or is only spent iny 

 amusement. 



Such is a brief sketch of the ordinary annual routine of the occu- 

 pations of the Eskimo of Point Barrow ; but it is to be remarked 

 that unusual success or the reverse in hunting or fishing, more 

 especially as regards the whale, must always modify it in a great 

 degree. Thus, in 1852, no less than seventeen whales were said to 

 have been taken, sufficient to afford the poorest and most im- 

 provident abundance of food and fuel for the winter ; and in the 

 succeeding spring, out of their superabundance of deer, a very con- 

 siderable number was brought to the ship for barter ; whilst, in 1853, 

 only seven whales, and those mostly small ones, were killed, giving 

 rise to such want of the necessaries of life in the last winter that 

 many families were obliged to use the decayed flesh and blubber of 

 a dead whale which had been stranded on Cooper's Island, about 

 twenty-five miles distant, more than two years before, and had 

 remained up to this time neglected. But even this resource failed 

 them, and many, as has been before mentioned, perished of famine. 

 In the former year, at midwinter, feasting and dancing were constant 

 for nearly a fortnight, and during October, November and December, 

 the number of seals offered for sale at the Plover was very great ; 

 but in the latter they had none of these amusements, at least in 

 public, as they had not oil enough to spare for warming and lighting 

 up the dance-huts, and up to July only a few scraps of seal were 

 brought to the ship. The want of oil also provented some of the 

 most wealthy men from going to hunt the deer in tho winter ; and 

 consequently none but a few pounds of venison were brought to 

 the ship for barter, the supply being hardly adequate to their own 

 wants. 



From some of tho more intelligent men, i! appears that they 

 consider the last season one of uncommon privation, and that of 



