It
consists of a small house built of ice, at one end of which a door, made
of the same plentiful material, is fitted to slide up and down in a
groove; to the upper part of this a line is attached, and, passing over
the roof, is let down into the trap at the inner end, and there held by
slipping an eye in the end of it over a peg of ice left for the purpose.
Over the peg, however, is previously placed a loose grummet, to which
the bait is fastened, and a false roof placed over all to hide the line.
The moment the animal drags at the bait, the grummet slips off the peg,
bringing with it the line that held up the door, and this, falling down,
closes the trap and secures him,
A trap for birds is formed by building a house of snow just large enough
to contain one person, who closes himself up in it. On the top is left a
small aperture, through which the man thrusts one of his hands to secure
the bird the moment he alights to take away a bait of meat laid beside
it. It is principally gulls that are taken thus; and the boys sometimes
amuse themselves in this manner. A trap in which they catch foxes has
been mentioned in another place.
The sledges belonging to these Esquimaux were in general large and
heavily constructed, being more adapted to the carriage of considerable
burdens than to very quick travelling.
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