The Eskimo eat the flesh of seals, whales, birds, hares, bears, dogs, foxes, and deer. In that cold country they like _fat_ meat. Sometimes meat and fish are eaten raw, but they may be boiled or fried. Fresh, raw blubber is much loved. The skin of whales, seals, and halibut is favorite food. Travellers tell astonishing stories of the quantities of candles and oil that Eskimo eat and drink when they are supplied to them. The supply of plant food is small: stalks of angelica, dandelion, sorrel, berries, and seaweed are used. The man’s great business is hunting. He has studied the habits of the bear, deer, seal, and walrus, and has learned just how to capture or kill them. He has invented many curious darts, harpoons, spears, bolas, etc. The bird spears have several points projecting in different directions from the shaft, so that if one misses, another may strike, or several birds may be impaled at once. The bolas consists of several pebbles attached to cords, which are knotted together at the end. These are set to whirling and then hurled through the air at birds to entangle them. The point of the harpoon separates from the shaft when an animal is struck; it remains in the game while the shaft floats on the water; the point is connected by a line to a bladder, which, floating, shows where the animal goes, and helps to tire him out. In hurling harpoons and darts the Eskimo uses a spear-throwing stick which enables him to send them with more force and directness than by his hand alone. [Illustration: A GREENLAND ESKIMO FISHING (NANSEN).] Much of his hunting is done from his canoe or _kayak_. This is narrow, sharp-pointed at both ends, and light. It consists of a slight framework over which skins are tightly stretched. The opening above is but large enough for him to get his legs and body through. When he has crept in, he ties a collar of skin, that surrounds the opening, about his body, below his arms, to prevent the water dashing into the _kayak_, and paddles away. His different weapons are all fastened in their proper places on top of the canoe, where he can seize them when wanted. The Eskimo are wonderful boatmen and drive their _kayaks_ over the waves like seabirds. If they tip over, they easily right themselves. Formerly the Greenland Eskimo made long summer trips along the coast. The clumsy, great, woman’s boat was brought out. The oldest man, the women, children, and baggage went in it. The younger men went in their _kayaks_. In the big boat the women rowed while the old man steered. They often went fifty miles a day. At good spots they landed and built a tent of thin skins. They loved these summer journeys as our boys love their camping trips. III. WILD INDIANS.