There
are one or two light wooden skeleton frames of kayaks, but most are
tightly covered with white smooth skins, cleverly sewn together by the
women. Look at this one lying on the grass; it is about fifteen feet
long, but you can lift the end of it quite easily. The owner paddled
home in it this morning from his fishing-place at the head of the
fjord, and sold fifty-two trout off the top of it to the captain, as
he passed the "Harmony." His bone-pointed harpoon and a hook with a
long handle are strapped on top of the canoe. Beside it lies his
paddle, which the Eskimo wields so deftly and silently that even a
seal may fail to detect his swift approach. Its blades at both ends
are beautifully finished off with bone. I see his gun is carelessly
left in the round man-hole in which he sits when afloat. It may be
loaded; I hope the children will let it alone.
Passing Daniel's empty hut, for he and his family are away fishing, we
call on Ikkaujak and Sakkearak (now John and Ernestine), and then on
Matthew and his wife Verona, who not long ago were known as Swanzi and
Akkusane. Matthew is interested to show and explain the weapons of the
chase.
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