100 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



to have a look around. I found a stream of good water and a first- 

 rate site for a house, while, from the top of the rocks, a good view 

 of the Straits could be obtained. We also found traces of reindeer, 

 foxes and ptarmigan. On returning to my boat I found Lieut. 

 Gordon, the officers of the ship and most of the men were ashore. 

 Before long we saw a group of Eskimos, principally women, accom- 

 panied by dogs, approaching us over the brow of a hill ; they were 

 shouting " Chimo, Chimo," and were evidently very anxious to trade 

 with us. They looked very good-natured and very dirty, and called 

 " tobaccomik, tobaccomik." On obtaining some black tobacco and 

 matches they howled with delight and hugged it. In a short time 

 our interpreter. Lane, who had been down the coast in his kyak, put 

 in an appearance and explained to the people that we were going to 

 build a house ; when they heard this they threw up their hands and 

 fairly shrieked with delight. 



During the stay of the Neptune at my station, which was from 

 Sunday till Friday^ the Eskimos were continually loitering about. 

 There were at this time four families living in tents about two miles 

 distant to the westward and several more families still further away. 

 Sunrise each morning brought the majority of them to the place 

 where our men were building the house ; they generally had some 

 small articles for trade, such as sealskin mittens and boots, for which 

 they almost invariably wanted tobacco. Scarcely ever did they offer 

 to assist in carrying up the material for the house or the coal, and if 

 by chance any of them did lend a hand, they expected to be well paid 

 with tobacco and matches. The sealskin tents (called by them "too- 

 picks,") in which these people live from about the middle of May to 

 the beginning of November, vary from about twelve to twenty feet 

 in length ; they are spread on a ridge and ai-e further supported by 

 several upright and slanting poles ; the latter have, as a rule, been 

 -obtained from a long distance to the southward. I do not think any 

 wood large enough for tent-poles can be obtained within 250 miles of 

 Prince of Wales' Sound. The skins of which the tents are formed 

 ;are those of the large harp-seal ; the hair is scraped off, and they are 

 ;stretched out in the sun by means of pegs driven into the ground. 

 The beds are ordinarily laid in the inner end of the tent, but some- 

 times when there are many occupants also extend round the sides. 

 A layer of dry moss is first spread on the ground and over this are 

 spread deerskins and sealskins, which have been softened by working 



