THE ESKIMO DOG. 129 



horrible tragedy which had been enacted there a few years before. A man, a boy, and a little oi r l 

 landed there from an omiak (or open skin-boat), on an island where, as is usual, some Dogs were con- 

 fined. Before the poor people could escape to their boat, the animals, infuriated by hunger, sprang 

 upon them. The man and the boy, though much lacerated, managed to regain the omiak, but the poor 

 girl was torn to pieces." 



Wolves could hardly be much worse than this. These Dogs were, however, confined and half- 

 starved ; but another writer * relates how he very nearly fell a victim to a pack of Dogs in actual use, 

 at the door of his own hut. 



" Leaving the hunters to look after their teams, I returned to the hut. The blinding snow, which 

 battered my face, made me insensible to everything except the idea of getting out of it ; and, thinking 

 of no danger, I was in the act of stooping to enter the doorway, when a sudden noise behind me 

 caused me to look around, and there, close at my heels, was the whole pack of thirteen hungry Dogs, 

 snarling, snapping, and showing their sharp teeth like a drove of ravenous Wolves. It was fortunate 

 that I had not got down upon my knees, or they would have been upon my back. In fact, so 

 impetuous was their attack, that one of them had already sprung when I faced round. I caught him 

 on my arm, and kicked him down the hill. The others were for the moment intimidated by the 

 suddenness of my movement, and at seeing the summary manner in which their leader had been dealt 

 with ; and they were in the act of sneaking away, when they perceived I was powerless to do them any 

 harm, having nothing in my hand. Again they assumed the offensive ; they were all around me ; 

 an instant more and I should be torn to pieces. I had faced death in several shapes before, but never 

 had I felt as then ; my blood fairly curdled in my veins. Death down the red throats of a pack of 

 wolfish Dogs had something about it peculiarly unpleasant. Conscious of my weakness, they were 

 preparing for a spring ; I had not even time to halloo for help to run would be the readiest means 

 of bringing the wretches upon me. My eye swept round the group, and caught sight of something 

 lying half-buried in the snow about ten feet distant. Quick as a flash I sprang, as I never sprang 

 before or since, over the back of a huge fellow who stood before me, and the next instant I was 

 whirling about me the lash of a long whip, cutting to right and left. The Dogs retreated before my 

 blows and the fury of my onset, and then suddenly skulked behind the rocks. The whip had clearly 

 saved my life ; there was nothing else within my reach, and it had been dropped there quite accidentally 

 by Katutunah as he went down to the sledges." 



The horrible savagery of these poor wretches can hardly be wondered at ; they live in a country 

 where there is hardly a chance for them in any independent foraging expedition ; they are half-starved 

 by their masters, being fed chiefly on frozen walrus hides in the winter, and allowed to shift for them- 

 selves in the summer when their services are not required, and are in so perennial and acute a state 

 of hunger that they are ready at any time to eat their own harness if allowed to do so. 



It is generally stated that they are perfectly insensible to kindness, and only to be kept in order 

 by a liberal application of the lash, or even of a more formidable weapon ; for the Eskimo, if their 

 Dogs are refractory, do not scruple to beat them about the head with a hammer, or anything else of 

 sufficient hardness which happens to be at hand. They will even beat the poor brutes in this horrible 

 manner until they are actually stunned. Notwithstanding the absolute dependence of the Eskimo on 

 their Dogs, little or no care is taken of them ; they receive nothing in any degree approaching petting, 

 and spend all their time in the open air. 



The chief use of the Eskimo Dog is to draw the sledges, which are the only possible conveyance 

 in that frozen land. In all the Arctic expeditions which have been sent out at various times, a good 

 supply of Sledge-dogs has been one of the greatest desiderata, as without them it would be absolutely 

 impossible to proceed far. No other animal would answer the purpose, both horses and cattle being 

 quite useless in joiirneys over ice and snow, amongst which the pack of light, active Dogs make their 

 way with wonderful ease and safety. 



The presence of a good leader to every sledge-team is of the first importance : the other Dogs 

 obey him far more implicitly than the driver, as he has gained his proud position vt et armis, and keeps 

 all his subordinates in the strictest order. Notwithstanding this, the behaviour of the team while 



* Hayes, quoted by Jesse. 

 66 



