The door consists merely of two flaps, contrived so as to
overlap one another, and to be secured by a stone laid upon them at the
bottom. This entrance faces the south or southeast; and as the wind was
now blowing fresh from that quarter, and thick snow beginning to fall,
these habitations did not impress us at first sight with a very
favourable idea of the comfort and accommodation afforded by them. The
interior of the tents may be described in few words. On one side of the
end next the door is the usual stone lamp, resting on rough stones, with
the _ootkooseek_, or cooking pot, suspended over it; and round this are
huddled together, in great confusion, the rest of the women's utensils,
together with great lumps of raw seahorse flesh and blubber, which at
this season they enjoyed in most disgusting abundance. At the inner end
of the tent, which is also the broadest, and occupying about one third
of the whole apartment, their skins are laid as a bed, having under them
some of the _andromeda tetragona_ when the ground is hard, but in this
case placed on the bare dry shingle. Comfortless as these simple
habitations appeared to us in a snowstorm, they are, in general, not
deficient in warmth as summer residences; and, being easily removed from
place to place, they are certainly well suited to the wants and habits
of this wandering people.
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