ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA 



Like many people in southern Canada, the native of the 

 frozen zone possesses a summer and winter residence, and 

 occupies each in turn as regularly as the seasons change. His 

 winter dwelling is built of snow; his summer lodge is made 

 of oil-tanned seal or deerskins, neatly sewn together and sup- 

 ported by poles, if such can be procured, or pieces of drift- 

 wood spliced together. A flap is left for the door, but there 

 is no opening at the top, as in the Indian wigwam or tepee,, 

 for, having no fire, they have no need of a chimney. 



The atmosphere of these tents or " topicks," as they are 

 called, is usually very sickening to one not accustomed to 

 them, for the skins of which they are made are dressed in 

 their natural oil, in order to make them water-proof, and 

 this has the effect of making them odorous to a degree. 



Topicks vary in size according to the wealth or require- 

 ments of the ©ccupants. Sometimes they are scarcely largi^ 

 enough to allow more than two of these little people to 

 huddle into them, while others are capable of seating twenty 

 persons. The commonest form of topick is that of a cone, 

 very similar to an Indian tepee, but it is sometimes rectan- 

 gular and built with vertical walls about four feet high. 



The furniture of these summer dwellings is simple, con- 

 sisting usually of a few skins lying about the rocky floor to 

 serve as seats in the daytime and for beds at night, two or 

 three sealskin sacks of oil, two shallow stone vessels used 

 as lamps, a few hiuiting implements, some little deerskin 

 bags used as ladies' work-baskets, several coils of sealskin 

 line, a few pairs of moccasins scattered about, and at one 

 side of the door the somewhat repulsive remains of a carcase 

 consumed at the last meal. Such is the Eskimo's summer 

 house. 



His winter dwelling in the snow is more interesting and 

 curious. It is called an " igloo," and is built in the form of 

 a dome with large blocks of snow. The common size of the 

 dwelling apartment of an igloo is twelve feet in diameter 



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