66 



Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 



and table, showing their positions, are marked in front of the platform.' The 

 hut was a single-roomed dwelling of the ordinary type, built at the end of a day's 

 journey across the strait at the opening of the sealing season. 



A development from this type of house is one which has a dance-house in 

 front, built just over the doorway. Fig. 14 illustrates a dwelling of this kind 

 which was seen at an Eskimo settlement in the Duke of York archipelago, Coro- 

 nation gulf, in February, 1915. The hut belonged to a famous shaman named 

 Uloksak, who at this time possessed two wives; each wife kept to her own side 

 of the hut, where she had her own cooking "and drying outfit. 



Fig. 14. A single snow hut with a dance-house in front 



Sometimes two huts are almost joined together, but their passages open 

 out in opposite directions. This is usually due to the condition of the snow, 

 and so is more frequent in the fall of the year when its depth is not very great. 



Fig. 15. Two houses erected side by side, but opening in different directions 



Fig. 15 gives the plan of two such huts, erected on the southwest coast of Victoria 

 island m December, 1914, by two men, Kanaiyok and Arnaktak, for their families: 

 Their proximity in this case was due to the limited number of places behind the 



'Eskimos sleep with their heads towards the door, though oocasionaUy when the hut is crowded 

 one or more of ttiem will he m the opposite direction, as the feet naturally take up less room than the 



