He was greatly amused with our guns, and begged for one of them, declaring that he could sit in his hut and kill the reindeer as they passed by. He would put the gun through the window, and he pointed to a hole in the wall about a foot square, where the light was admitted through a thin slab of hard snow. In the centre of it he had made a round orifice, which he said, laughingly, was for the purpose of looking out for the Nalegaksoak,--a well-turned compliment, if it did come from a savage, and all the more adroit that the orifice was really for ventilation, at least it was the only opening by which the foul air could possibly escape. Both himself and wife were highly delighted with the presents which I had brought them. Although they are surrounded by reindeer, venison is a luxury which they rarely enjoy, as they possess no means of capturing the animals. They have not the bows and arrows of the Esquimaux of some other localities. Without waiting for it to be cooked, Kalutunah commenced a vigorous attack upon the raw, frozen flesh. His wife and children were not slow to follow his example, crowding round it where it lay on the dirty floor; and, without halting for an invitation, Mrs. Myouk joined in the feast. And I have never witnessed a feast which seemed to give so much satisfaction to the actors in it, not even hungry aldermen at a corporation banquet. Kalutunah was grinning all over with delight. He was eminently happy. His teeth were unintermittingly crushing the hard kernels which he chipped from the frozen "leg," and a steady stream of the luscious food was pouring down his throat. His tongue had little chance, but now and then it got loose from the venison tangle, and then I heard much of the greatness and the goodness of the Nalegaksoak. The man's enjoyment was a pleasant thing to behold. But if the reindeer-leg gave satisfaction, the oil gave comfort. The hut was dark and chilly, not having yet become thoroughly thawed out. Kalutunah now thought that he could afford another lamp, and in a few minutes after we had entered a fresh blaze was burning in the corner. I have before explained that the Esquimau lamp is only a shallow dish, cut out of a block of soap-stone. The dried moss which they use for wick is arranged around the edge, and the blaze therefrom gives their only light and heat. Over the lamps hung pots of the same soap-stone, and into these Mrs. Kalutunah put some snow, that she might have the water for a venison-soup, of which she invited us to stay and partake. I knew by former experience too well the nature of the Esquimau _cuisine_ to make me anxious to learn further, so I plead business, and left them to enjoy themselves in their own way. How long they kept up their feast I did not learn, but when Kalutunah came over next morning, he informed me that there was no more venison in the hut at Etah,--a hint which was not thrown away. [Sidenote: MY ESQUIMAU PEOPLE.]