562 THE r'ENTRAL ESKIMO. 



ber and the dim liglit which has been kejit burning during the night 

 quickly brightens ujj and warms the hut. Wliile the woman is biisy 

 preparing breakfast the man fits up his sledge for hunting. He takes 

 the snow block which closes the cut ranee of the dwelling runni during 

 the night out of the doorway ami jiasses through the l^w passages. 

 Within the passage the dogs arc sleeping, tired by the fatiguL's of 

 the day before. Though their long, heavy hair protects them from 

 the severe cold of the Arctic winter, they like to seek shelter from 

 the i^iercing winds in the entrance of the hut. 



The sledge is iced, the hai'ncsscs aiv taken out of the storeroom by 

 the door, and the d'ogs are liarncssed to tlic sledge. Breakfast is now 

 ready and after having taken a hearty meal of seal soup and frozen 

 and cooked seal meat the hunter lashes the spear that stands outside 

 of the hut upon the sledge, hangs the liarpoon line, some toggles, and 

 his knife ovei- Ihe antlers, and starts tor tlw liunting ground. Here 

 he waits patieiitl\- for tin- lilowing seal, sometimes until late in the 

 evening. 



Meanwhile the women, who stay at home, are engaged in their do- 

 mestic occupations, mending boots and making new clothing, or they 

 visit one another, taking some work with them, or pass their time 

 with games or in jjlaying with the children. While sitting at their 

 sewing and at the same time watching their lamps and cooking the 

 meat, they incessantly hum their favorite tunes. About noon they 

 cook their dinner and usually prepare at the same time the meal for 

 the returning hunters. As soon as the first sledge is heard approach- 

 ing, the pots, which have been pushed back during the afternoon, 

 are placed over the fire, and when the hungry men enter the hut their 

 dinner is ready. While hunting they usually o|ien the seals caught 

 early in the morning, to take out a piece of the llesh or liver, which 

 they eat raw, for lunch. The cut is then temporarily fastened until 

 the final dressing of the animal at home. 



In the western regions particularly the hunters fi'equently visit the 

 depots of venison made in the fall, and the retirrn is always followed 

 by a great feast. 



After the hunters reach home they first unharness their dogs and 

 unstring the traces, which are carefully arranged, coiled up, and put 

 away in the storeroom. Then the sledge is unloaded and the spoils 

 are dragged through the entrance into the hut. A religious custom 

 commands the women to leave ofi" working, and not lantil tlie seal 

 is cut up are they allowed to resume their sewing and the prepar- 

 ing of skins. This custom is founded on the tradition that all kinds 

 of sea animals have risen from the fingers of their siipreme goddess, 

 who must be propitiated after being offended by the murder of 

 her offspring (see p. 583). The sjiear is stuck into the snow at the 

 entrance of the house, the sledge is turned upside down, and the ice 

 coating is removed from the runners. Tlienit is leaned against the 



