hronic state of
disgust with oneself and every one else. So the dirt of the native,
unless specially prominent and offensive, is accepted as a matter of
course and ignored. This obstacle overcome, the Esquimaux are an
attractive and most interesting race, and compare to advantage with the
Indians in almost every particular. They are a very industrious people.
Go into an Esquimau's hut at almost any time when they are not sleeping,
and you will find every individual occupied at some task. Here is a man
working in wood or bone with the ingenious tools they have evolved; here
are women working in skin or fur, and some of them are admirable
needlewomen; here, perhaps, is another woman chewing mukluks--and many a
white man who has kept his feet dry in overflow water is grateful to the
teeth that do not disdain this most effective way of securing an
intimate union between sole and upper. Even the children are busy: here
is a boy whittling out bow and arrow--and they do great execution
amongst rabbits and ptarmigan with these weapons that entail no cost of
powder and shot; here is a girl beating out threads from sinew with a
couple of flat stones. Some of us, troubled with unconscientious
tailors, wish that a law could be passed requiring all buttons to be
sewn on with sinew--they never come off.

[Sidenote: A LIGHT-HEARTED FOLK]

They are a very light-hearted people, easily amused, bubbling over with
laughter and merriment, romping and skylarking with one another at every
intermission of labour. One of my white travelling companions on this
journey was in the habit of using a little piece of rabbit skin to
protect his nose in cold or windy weather. The care of the nose is
sometimes very troublesome indeed, it freezes more readily than any
other portion of the body; and a little piece of rabbit skin, moistened
and applied to the nose, will stay there and keep it warm and
comfortable all day. But it does not exactly enhance one's personal
attractions.

We had stopped for camp and were all together for the first time in four
or five hours, when Roxy noticed this rabbit-skin nose protector, upon
which the breath had condensed all the afternoon until two long icicles
depended from it, one on each side, reaching down below the mouth; and
he fell straightway into a fit of laughter that grew uncontrollable; he
rolled on the snow and roared. A little annoyed at this exhibition, I
spoke sharply: "What's the matter with you, Roxy; wh