202 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



prehended his request we complied with it, 

 and our attendants having, with some 

 trouble, grubbed up a sufficient quantity of 

 the roots of the dwarf birch to make a fire, 

 we were enabled to prepare a comfortable 

 supper of rein-deer's meat, which we des- 

 patched with the appetites which travelling 

 in this country never fails to ensure. We 

 then stretched ourselves out on the pine 

 brush, and, covered by a single blanket, 

 enjoyed a night of sound repose. The 

 small quantity of bed-clothes we carried 

 induced us to sleep without undressing. 

 Old Keskarrah followed a different plan ; 

 he stripped himself to the skin, and having 

 toasted his body for a short time over the 

 embers of the fire, he crept under his deer- 

 skin and rags, previously spread out as 

 smoothly as possible, and coiling himself 

 up in a circular form, fell asleep instantly. 

 This custom of undressing to the skin, even 

 when lying in the open air, is common to 

 all the Indian tribes. The thermometer at 

 sunset stood at 29°. 



Resuming our journey next morning, we 



