Sitting around their tiny lamp, the Eskimo hear the raging of the storm, and with awe listen to the terrible noises of shrieking winds or crunching ice. For these are said to be the voices of spirits who knock wildly at the huts and pursue the dogs; terrible is the fate of a poor Eskimo who falls into their grip. CHAPTER V THE ESKIMO AS A HUNTER The Algonkin Indians were so disgusted with the habits of life adopted by the Innuit, that they called them “Eskimo,” a name which means “eater of raw flesh.” It would be difficult to find a much better description, for so barren is the snow-clad country, and so intense the cold, that the Eskimo has no opportunities for practising agriculture; neither would vegetable food sustain life in this inhospitable region. The fatty diet is obtained chiefly from the seal, whale, and walrus, while the reindeer, together with an abundant supply of sea birds and fish, furnish food and clothing. An encounter with polar bears is not looked upon as a regular part of the hunter’s life, and a successful combat with one of these animals is an event talked about during many a long winter evening. So proud is the hunter, that he tattoos himself with special marks indicating how many whales or polar bears he has taken; one great hunter had across his chest tattooed marks in the form of the flukes on the tail of a whale. These showed that he had killed seven of these creatures; and such was the pride of his wife, that she had tattooed herself in the same way. Seal hunting is perhaps the most common means of obtaining a large supply of food and material for clothing, and usually the animal is harpooned, though the method of capture depends on the season of the year and the condition of the ice. The shaft of the harpoon, to which a line is attached, is made of wood, strengthened by a thong of reindeer hide. The head consists of a sharply pointed piece of ivory, probably obtained from the tusks of the walrus; and in order that the sharp point may detach itself in the wounded animal, the head fits very loosely in the shaft, to which it is fastened by a strong thong of reindeer sinew. The floating wooden shaft, to which a bladder is fastened, is plainly seen each time the wounded animal comes up to breathe. The whole proceeding has been described by Dr. Boas, who says: “When the day begins to dawn, the Eskimo prepares for the hunt by gathering his harpoons and harnessing the dogs to the sledge. The harpoon line and the snow knife are hung over the deer’s antlers, which are attached to the hind part of the sledge, a seal or bear skin is lashed upon the bottom, and the spear secured under the lashing. The hunter takes up the whip, and the dogs set off at a great pace for the hunting ground.