THE INDIANS OF THE LABRADOR 
fastened at three corners to keep it in posi- 
tion. A few of the Indians now use folding 
sheet-iron stoves furnished by the Hudson’s 
Bay Company, thus avoiding the constant 
smoke which fills the interior when the open 
fire is used, but by far the greatest number 
still cling to the tepee fire built on a plat- 
form of stones in the center of the tent. In 
a permanent encampment, five or six fami- 
lies sometimes occupy one large lodge, 
about thirty feet long, divided by partitions 
of deerskin. The summer tepee is prac- 
tically the same in construction, being made 
of dressed deerskins and odds and ends of 
cloth or bark. Light is furnished by a lamp 
similar to those used by the Eskimo; it is 
usually made of soapstone hollowed out so 
as to form a shallow dish in which caribou 
tallow is buined. Candles are also used by 
some of the Indians. 
The Nascaupee depends almost entirely 
upon the deer for his clothing. The prin- 
cipal garment for winter wear consists of a 
long, tight-fitting coat of finely dressed 
caribou skin with the hair worn inside, and 
reaching almost to the knees. The outside 
is ornamented around the bottom, on the 
sleeves and up the front with various de- 
signs in colored dyes made from fish-skins. 
and bark. These designs are often very 
pretty; the combination of colors is har- 
monious and the patterns unique, the whole 
presenting an artistic appearance. But the 
Nascaupee brave in his untutored desire to 
copy his white brother will often spoil this 
artistic effect by putting on a cheap cotton 
shirt of flaming color over his native dress. 
Long leggins of deerskin or red cloth 
ornamented with embroidery and colored 
beads reach from the hips, where they are 
held in position by thongs, to the meccasins, 
which are made with high tops and bound 
tightly about the leg; long mittens of dressed 
skin with the hair next the hand, and a cap 
or hood of fur, complete a costume which 
is often picturesque and certainly well 
adapted to the climate. 
During our stay at Fort Chimo I met a 
party of five men coming into the post, and 
was particularly struck with the fine ap- 
pearance of one young fellow dressed com- 
pletely in skins with a hood formed by the. 
skin of a large wolf’s head, the sharp- 
pointed ears standing erect. The next 

a37 
morning I encountered the same man, who 
in the meantime had evidently traded his 
stock of furs for European clothing, as he 
was togged out in a cheap suit of black with 
a bright blue handkerchief about his neck. 
And though the thermometer stood at 
thirty below zero and his teeth were playing 
together like castanets he seemed exceed- 
ingly proud of his attire and paraded around 
for the benefit of every one in sight. By 
dint of much persuasion, I induced him to 
don his skin coat and stand for a picture, 
but his frigid attitude due to the half hour 
in civilized dress rather spoiled the effect. 
These men have great endurance, and in 
times of stress, unlike their neighbors the 
I induced him to don his skin coat and 
stand for a picture 
