TUHNER.] DWELLINGS. 299 



from 10 to 18 feet. The skins forraiug the cover are those of the rein- 

 deer, and those selected for this j)urpose are nsnally of au inferior 

 grade. A sufficient number are sewed together to form a strip long- 

 enough to reach around the poles when set up. As the tents differ in 

 size according to the number of people who occupy them, the skins 

 sewed together may be from eight to twelve. The first strip is made 

 for the lower iiart of the poles and is attached to them by means of 

 strings fastened within. A second strip is made to go around the up- 

 per part of the poles, and is, of course, correspondingly shorter. It is 

 placed last so as to overlap the lower breadth and thus prevent rain 

 and snow from blowing in. The door is usually made of one large skin 

 or two smaller ones. It is tied to the, poles at the upper corners and 

 at the lower has a small log of wood as a weight to prevent it from 

 Happing. The poles at the apex are not covered and through them the 

 smoke from the fire built in the center within ascends and finds exit. 



The interior of the tent is arranged to suit the occupants. The floor 

 is ixsiially covered with the branches of young spruce, and when care- 

 fully laid these form au admirable protection from the cold ground and 

 a soft carpeting. 



The women who lay this flooring display great taste, and certain of 

 them are noted for their skill in disposing the branches. The center 

 of the tent is reserved for the fire which is built there among a few 

 stones. 



The occupants arrange themselves according to the importance of the 

 place they occui)y in the family. The owner or head man is always to 

 be found on the side opposite the fire. This is considered a place of 

 honor, to which all guests who are to be complimented are invited to 

 a seat. 



The other members of the group arrange themselves along the sides 

 of the tent, and those who liave been adopted into the family occupy 

 positions next the doorway. 



Over the fire may be poles reaching across the tent, and on these will 

 be suspended kettles and pots obtained from the traders. The cooking 

 utensils are few in number, one vessel serving various purposes. 



The hunting gear and the skins of animals, together with the articles 

 belonging to the females may be seen suspended from various portions 

 of the interior. Around the edges are the blankets of deerskin, and 

 those bought from the traders, lying in disorder. The outer edge of 

 the interior is slightly raised above the center, and affords a convenient 

 slope for those who desire to sleep. The occupants always sleep with 

 their feet toward the fireplace, around which there is no brush, lest it 

 be set on fire during sleep and destroy the tent. 



They have regular hours for sleeping, but as these are only for a period 

 of short duration, it is not unusual to find half the inmates asleep at 

 any time a tent is visited. 



The preparation of the food appears to go on at all times, and there 



