214 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



ago merry laughter could be heard, now you are only greeted with the 

 snarl of a stray dog that keeps well out of your way, or the caw of a 

 raven as it sits on a neighbouring rock watching you suspiciously. 



About the month of March, most of the seals leaving the coast, 

 food becomes very scarce and many shifts are made. Hurried ex- 

 peditions are taken by the men witli their dogs along the shore, theii- 

 family sometimes accomi)anying them, but they are oftener left behind, 

 and the iinhappy look of a father as lie returns without success tells 

 plainly how much he feels for those dependent upon him. 



As this month advanced at Cape Prince of Wales food became 

 scarcer and now, though at other times helping one another, it was a 

 matter with many of life and death and every man looked out for 

 himself and his family. If he secured a seal it was hidden as quickly 

 as possible. At this time the old and those weakened by starvation 

 and unable to move from place to place were left to their fate, though 

 should a party be so successful as to capture more than would supply 

 their immediate wants they retui^ied at once with food to those tliey 

 ha<l left behind. 



Early in April, the weather becoming milder and tlie snow well 

 packed sleigh journeys are Qiade to distant parts of the coast and 

 seldom before this time do they undertake long tri[)s. At this time, 

 too, the deer come from inland to the coast and expeditions are made 

 to meet them, though few deer are taken until the end of the month. 



The latter )iart of April, May, and June may be considered the 

 Eskimo's harvest time, for besides the deer lai-ge numbers of seals are 

 taken as they appear along the wide cracks that now form in the ice. 



Towards the end of May, snow igloos melting away, the women may 

 be seen busily engaged in repairing the seal skin covering of their 

 tupeys which have been cached since the previous summer, and now, 

 while some are inland hunting deer, single families pitch their tupeys 

 at favourable places along the coast where the men spend most of the 

 time watching the ice for seals. 



On May 23rd, four families left Cape Prince of Wales for a large 

 lake about one hundred and sixty miles to the southward. Here I 

 was informed they would remain throughout the summer living upon 

 deer, fish, and a kind of berry not found on the coast. This lake, by 



