24 
THE FOX TAIL. 
leg, sewed with great skill to the natural sole of the 
plantigrade, and abundantly wadded about the foot 
with dry non-conducting straw. 
“When this simple wardrobe is fully adjusted to the 
person, we understand something of the wonderful 
endurance of these Arctic primates. Wrangell called 
the Jacuti iron men, because they slept at —50° oppo¬ 
site the fire, with their backs exposed. Now, they of 
Smith’s Sound have always an uncovered space between 
the waistband of the nannooke and the kapetah. To 
bend forward exposes the back to partial nudity; and, 
no matter what the attitude, the entire chest is open 
to the atmosphere from below. Yet in this well-venti¬ 
lated costume the man will sleep upon his sledge with 
the atmosphere 93° below our freezing-point. 
“ The only additional articles of dress are a fox’s tail, 
held between the teeth to protect the nose in a wind, 
and mitts of seal-skin well wadded with sledge-straw. 
“When I saw Kalutunah, who guided the return- 
party to the brig from Tesseusak, the temperature 
was below —50°. He was standing in the open air, 
comfortably scratching his naked skin, ready for a 
second journey; which, in effect, he made eight hours 
afterward. 
“ We—I mean our party of American hyperboreans— 
are mere carpet-knights aside of these indomitable 
savages. Experience has taught us to follow their 
guidance in matters of Arctic craft; but we have to 
add a host of European appendages to their out-door 
clothing. 
