OCCUPATIONS OF THE ESKIMOS 



sands, are met with, and at such times their numbers appear 

 to give them confidence. The hunter then has no trouble in 

 approaching them, but may go up and kill as many as he 

 desires, either with bow and arrow or with spear. 



The spear, however, is chiefly tised for killing in the water. 

 At certain seasons of the year, when migrating, the d^er 

 cross streams, rivers or lakes in great numbers, and these 

 crossings are commonly effected year after year in the same 

 place. The hunter, knowing of these places, lies in wait, and 

 often from his kyack spears large numbers as they are 

 swimming past. 



When more deer are killed than are required for immediate 

 use, the carcases are " cached," that is, they are covered over 

 by piles of stones to preserve them from the wolves and foxes, 

 and the place of their burial is marked, so that during the 

 succeeding winter- and spring, if food becomes scarce, these 

 meat stores may be resorted to. When required, the meat 

 thus stored is often quite tainted or decomposed, but it has 

 to be pretty bad when a hungry Eskimo will not eat it. 



Seal Huntiitg. 



Seal hunting is a most curious and interesting form of 

 sport. The seals are hunted in entirely different ways at 

 different times of the year. 



During the entire winter season they keep holes open 

 through the shore ice, but because of the depth of snow they 

 are not seen until the warm spring sun exposes their hiding 

 places. The Eskimo hunter has, however, a way of finding 

 them before this. He harnesses a dog, trained for the work, 

 and, armed with seal harpoon, leads him out to the snow- 

 covered field, where the two walk in a zigzag course, imtil 

 the sagacious animal catches the scent of the seal and takes 

 his master straight to its secret abode. 



Here, under the hard crusted snow, it has formed for itself 

 quite a 'commodious dwelling, but, unlike the Eskimo snow- 



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