continue out
but for a short time, when they drop off, and the tree is once more
bare. The elk, reindeer and the ponies of the Indians all feed on the
bark of the trees and the moss.

Snow falls repeatedly during the year, but no rain. There are numerous
storms.

With the Esquimaux, who live on the shores of the Arctic Ocean, our
tribes often had skirmishes. The Esquimaux are a dirty people,
generally short, thick set, with matted hair, and afflicted with the
scurvy. They wrap themselves up in furs and live on any kind of
carion. They will eat worms, bugs or snakes when they cannot get game;
but their principal luxury is oil. They make oil from the carcasses of
the animals they obtain and enjoy it as a great luxury. They live in
huts made of snow and ice, and when moving from place to place they
have tents made of furs and skins. In traveling, they use sleds drawn
by reindeer and dogs. The Copper Heads never have sleds, but use
ponies and elk, both for riding and packing game and other burdens.

The Copper Heads principally traded with the Russian posts, and made
trips to them several times a year. They also sent an expedition twice
a year to the Red River settlement, and from there to St. Paul. All
the dried meats, furs and other articles are packed on the backs of
ponies and elks or carried by women and such captives as are in the
keeping of the tribe. The mode of packing on the backs of women is for
a belt, three fingers wide, to be passed across the forehead and lie
down the back. The pack is placed so as to rest on the bottom of the
belt and lie on the shoulders and neck. The bearer is obliged to stoop
forward in walking, and the back is frequently bent from this cause.
Being a captive, I was sometimes compelled to carry a load but about
fifteen pounds less than my own weight, and the squaws have to carry
within about twenty pounds of their own weight.

From the Russians we obtained blankets, powder, rifles and other
necessary articles in exchange for furs and dried meats. Among other
things purchased of the Russians the tribe possessed a compass and a
watch, enclosed in a copper case. They learned the use of the compass
sufficiently to enable them to travel by its aid.

The lodges are made of poles stuck in the ground and tied together at
the top so as to leave a hole in the center. Furs and skins are then
fastened around and made tight, except at the entrance. A fire is
built in the center of the lodge and