A HUNTER'S CAMP-FIRES 



as they had not much to share with us except their everlasting 

 smiles and good humor. However, we were very glad to have 

 them camped with us, as we had abundant opportunity to 

 study these interesting people and their customs. 



They were a part of an isolated tribe of Eskimos several 

 hundred miles north of any other of their race. The only 

 human beings they had come in contact with were the members 

 of various polar expeditions or crews of a few of the most 

 daring Arctic whaling ships. They were very Mongolian in 

 appearance, with the exception of the layer of fat which nature 

 furnishes them as a protection against the cold of the Arctic 

 regions. Their skins, when revealed through the grease and 

 dirt, showed olive or yellow in color. 



The men w^ore their hair in a long, shaggy mass, while the 

 women tied theirs up in a knot plastered down with grease. 

 The garments of both sexes consisted of four pieces — a hooded" 

 coat, pair of trousers, and a pair of kamiks, or sealskin boots, 

 the soles of which were stuffed inside with dried grass to pro- 

 tect the feet in travelling over the rocks. The coats of the 

 men were made either of bird skins or sealskin, and the trousers 

 of polar-bear skin, while all the garments of the women were 

 made of seal or dog skin. These people never washed, devoured 

 all their meat raw, and had peculiar ideas of modesty, along 

 with a deep insensibility to many civilized customs. But 

 they were bright and intelligent, furnishing us with endless 

 amusement. 



Next to the natives themselves, their dogs interested us 

 most. These animals were the real huskies — great, wolfish- 

 looking but tractable beasts, quite different from the mongrel 

 sledge-dogs known as huskies over the northern part of Canada. 

 To maintain their efficiency in sledging, the Eskimos feed these 

 dogs only every few days. In consequence, they continually 

 prowl about with the glazed, eager eye and gaunt appearance 

 of the half-starved animal. Equipped with walrus-hide har- 



70 



