July 25, 1884.] 



SCIENCE. 



83 



elled off in two or three minutes, even from the 

 deepest drifts. If these drifts should be cov- 

 ered with a crust, the native at once knows 



Fig. 4. 



that they were formed during the October or 

 November thaw, before the ice could have 

 been very thick ; and a couple of feet of drift 

 will save him digging through nearly double 



Fig. 5. 



that amount of ice. And with many of those 

 savage traits bordering on instinct, he can 

 closely judge about the age of the drift ; for, if 

 made since the coldest weather, it has been no 

 protection to the ice-covering, and only adds 



the labor of removing it, slight as it is. Where 

 there is no covering to the clear blue ice, you 

 will often see them extended full length, their 

 little pug noses pressed against it ; for they 

 can, by var} T ing peculiarities of the hues, tell if 

 it be frozen to the bottom, or not. The site 

 selected by all these conditions duly weighed, 

 the operation is commenced hy starting a hole 

 about a foot and a half in diameter, and prob- 

 ably a foot deep, with the ice-chisel. In cut- 

 ting with this, the ice has been broken up into 

 small fragments ; and these are taken out with 

 the ice- scoop, and this alternation kept up 

 until water is reached. The ice-scoop is the 

 native ladle of musk-ox horn, firmly attached 

 to a pole from eight to ten feet long (fig. 6. b) . 

 This ladle is made from the splayed base of 

 the horn of the musk-ox. Fig. 4 represents 

 one in the author's possession. Fig. 5 is 

 taken from Hall's ' Narrative of the second 

 arctic expedition.' Ordinarily they subserve 

 th$ purpose of a tin cup, or similar utensil, 

 and hold from a pint to nearly two quarts. 

 When used for an e-lowt, four holes are bored 

 in the heavy handle (as shown in fig. 4) , and 

 through these the ladle is lashed to the pole by 

 sinew (fig. 7). 



WE 



fov. 



Fig. 



The ice-chisel (fig. 6, a) is any cutting 

 instrument, like a bayonet, sabre-point, or 

 sharpened iron, a mortising-chisel being the 

 best, on a similar pole to that of the scoop. 

 The Ookjooliks and Netschilluks used iron 

 spikes from Sir John Franklin's ships. Usu- 

 ally it swells out near the butt, where it is lashed 

 to the chisel ; and the main object of this, be- 

 sides giving securer lashings, is when the last 

 few strokes are made, that let the water from 

 beneath into the ice-well, with four or five as 

 powerful and rapid thrusts as the digger can 

 make. This projection knocks 

 of ice off, .and keeps the well a 

 throughout, — an im- 

 portant item, for 

 through this hole 

 many a meal of sal- 

 mon may be caught. 

 These last strokes 

 must be very rapid ; 



for, when the water starts into the well from such 

 a depth, it comes apparently with the force of 

 a fire-engine ; and, once a foot or two deep. 



the lower rim 

 uniform width 



Fig. 



