About three inches from the flame is placed a pot in which the water for cook-
ing and drinking is melted and meat stewed. Still above this hangs a rack
upon which stockings, mittens, and other garments are allowed to dry. There
is no fire except what is furnished by the lamps, nor is any other needed. Indeed,
it sometimes gets so warm in the igloo that the water begins to drip from the
ceiling. At such times one of the women makes a ball of snow and presses it
against the spot, and possibly puts out one of the lamps. During their short
summer the Esquimaux live in tents made of skins. At this time they busy
themselves in laying up food for the winter, having to depend chiefly on fishing
and hunting. Spring gives them a good chance to spear and catch fish. They
also hunt the reindeer at this time, and capture large numbers of swans, ducks
and geese. During the month of July they capture a number of whales, the
blubber of which is carefully taken out and laid aside for winter use. The wal-
rus and seal are also very important to the Esquimaux. In the warm spring
days the seals come up through their. blow-holes to enjoy a quiet nap in the
sun. The Esquimau hunter creeps along on his hands and knees, and draws
himself along the ice until within easy range, when the shot is fired which, if in
the head or neck, ends that seal’s life. The Esquimaux obtain guns from ex-
ploring and whaling vessels in exchange for a supply of meat or furs. If the
hunter has no gun he must get close enough to kill the seal with aspear. This
is very difficult unless he happens to catch one asleep, as the seal is very swift
inits movements, and has wonderfully sharp eyes. As summer advances, how-
ever, the eyes of the seal are so blinded by the fierce rays of the sun that they
become slightly blinded, and are then easily taken. In the winter time the
seals do not come out on the ice, and so must be hunted through the blow-
holes. At such times, the hunter selects a blow-hole, and builds around it a
sort of an embankment of snow. There he waits for the seal, which may come
in an hour and may not come within two days. During all this time the hunter
sits perfectly still. He cannot walk or move about lest the seal be frightened.
Walruses are captured in much the same way. They are so large, however,
that two hunters generally go together. An average sized walrus weighs one
thousand or twelve hundred pounds, and we may know how valuable they are
to the Esquimaux when we remember that every particle is used, even to the
bones. The catching of a walrus is the occasion of a feast for the whole village.
During stormy weather these people busy themselves in storing away the spoils
of the hunt. For this purpose they dig a pit, inside of which the meat is
placed and covered with large stones. It is said that an Esquimau eats on an
average eight or ten pounds of meat a day. When meat is plenty they often-
times eat four or five times during the course of a night.