458 



THE POLAR WORLD. 



INNUIT IMPLEMENTS. 



her civilized sisters. The different kinds of spears and harpoons used in captur- 

 ing the seal, walrus, and whale are admirably adapted for their purpose. We 

 doubt whether we could improve upon the design, and, with all our facilities in 

 the way of material, very much in the way of execution. The Innuits have 

 clearly given their whole minds to the fabrication of these weapons. They have 

 the bow and arrow, and are quite clever in its employment ; but for them it is 

 of little use except in the shooting of birds, for a seal or walrus would not even 

 feel an arrow shot from the strongest bow. 



Although the Innuits have never domesticated the reindeer, it yet plays a 

 great part in their economy. Their clothing and bedding is composed almost 

 wholly of deer-skin, which is one of the best non-conductors of heat known. 

 Even when the thermometer marks 70 degrees below the freezing-point, they 

 never use but one for bedding ; and Mr. Hall says that he has slept under a 



