Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 2.djvu/350

Rh no matter whether the fortunate person be man, woman, or child. If the captured bear is a male, his bladder, with certain instruments belonging to the men, must be placed for three days on the top of the igloo or tupic. If the bear be a female, her bladder, with one of the women's brass head-ornaments and some beads, must be hung in like manner. The Innuits show a remarkable degree of ingenuity in all the operations of life, and an astonishing readiness in emergencies. They thoroughly know their waters and coasts. An illustration of this is shown in the accompanying facsimile of a chart made by Kooperneung, which I have in my possession.

When travelling with a sledge they are accustomed to coat the bottom of the runners with ice, thus making a shoe which is smoother than anything else that could be invented. The manner of performing this operation is curious. The sledge is turned bottom up, and the Innuit fills his mouth with water in which has been mingled a little seal's blood, in order to give it tenacity. He then sends it out in a fine, well-directed, and evenly-applied stream upon the runner, where it at once congeals. When, after some hours' travel, the coating is worn away, it is renewed in the same manner. But the question naturally arises. How can the water be carried without freezing? The Innuit does this by filling a bag of sealskin or ookgook bladder, and slipping it down between his shoulders, under his clothing, the warmth of his body keeping it liquid. Once, while I was on a sledge-journey with Koojesse, I was suffering from thirst, and we had no water. Koojesse turned aside, and went off with his seal-spear upon a little fresh-water pond. I knew that the ice there would naturally be ten feet thick at that season, and therefore wondered how he expected to find water. After looking about carefully for some time, he selected a place where the snow seemed to be very deep, and there, after clearing it away, he struck with his spear upon the ice, and very soon made a hole through