TiRNEH] DWELLINGS. 225 



iiig material was taken. The door is cut by taking blocks of snow 

 from under the bottom row of the foundation blocks. A trench is 

 made, and aloug the side of it the blocks are placed. An arched cov- 

 ering of the material forms a sheltered passageway to the door. 



When the snow house is to be occupied for a considerable time the 

 doorway may have walls of snow blocks piled as high as the shoulders, 

 with the top left open. This shields the entrance from wind and drift- 

 ing snow. Various forms of entrance are constructed, often very tor- 

 tuous; and wlien made a refuge by tlie numerous dogs they are not 

 pleasant paths along which to creep on hands and knees, for a panic 

 may seize some cowardly canine and all the dogs struggle to get sud- 

 denly out into the open air. Vicious animals often wait until a white 

 man gets about half way through the entry and then make a sudden 

 assault on him. 



The interior of the house is arranged according to the number of 

 persons inhabiting it. 



A raised bed, on which to sit during the day and sleep during the 

 night, is formed either by leaving a part of the snow-bank or else by 

 bringing in blocks and arranging them as a solid mass. On this are 

 spread bows of si^ruce, or dry grass, if obtainable, otherwise line twigs 

 of willow or alder, and over these heavy reindeer or bear skins are 

 thrown. On these bed-skins are laid other softer skins of reindeer, 

 with which to cover the person on retiring to sleep. A window is 

 sometimes set in the side of the structure toward the sun. This is 

 simply a piece of thick, clear ice, from a lake, set in the wall of the 

 dome. It admits light, although it is generally light enough during 

 the day within the snow-house unless the walls be built particularly 

 thick, but great thickness in certain situations becomes necessary lest 

 the winds and drifting snow wear away the sides of the structure, 

 causing it to admit the cold or tumble down. Around the outside of 

 the hut is sometimes built a protecting wall of snow blocks, two or 

 three feet higli, to prevent the drifting snow from wearing away the 

 side of the dwelling. A storm of a single night's duration is often 

 sufficient to destroy a house. 



The interior walls, in severe weather, become coated with frost films 

 from the breath, etc., condensing and crystallizing on the inside of the 

 dome and often presenting by the lamplight a brilliant show of 

 myriads of reflecting surfaces scintillating with greater luster than 

 skillfully set gems. 



If the roof is not carefully shaped it is liable to cave in from the 

 heat within softening the snow, especially in moderate weather, and 

 then the entire structure falls. 



Where the owner of the house has considerable possessions which 

 must be iirotected from the dogs and the weather, a similar structure 

 is prepared alongside of the dwelling and often connected with it by 

 II ETH 15 



