Purchase of Alaska by the United States.--The Russian American Telegraph Scheme.--Whymper’s Trip up the Yukon.--Dogs.-- The Start.--Extempore Water-filter.--Snow-shoes.--The Frozen Yukon.--Under-ground Houses.--Life at Nulato.-- Cold Weather.--Auroras.--Approach of Summer.--Breaking-up of the Ice.--Fort Yukon.--Furs.--Descent of the Yukon.-- Value of Goods.--Arctic and Tropical Life.--Moose-hunting.-- Deer-corrals.--Lip Ornaments.--Canoes.--Four-post Coffin.-- The Kenaian Indians.--The Aleuts.--Value of Alaska. 277 CHAPTER XXVII. THE ESQUIMAUX. Their wide Extension.--Climate of the Regions they inhabit.-- Their physical Appearance.--Their Dress.--Snow Huts.--The Kayak, or the Baidar.--Hunting Apparatus and Weapons.-- Enmity between the Esquimaux and the Red Indian.--The “Bloody Falls.”--Chase of the Reindeer.--Bird-catching.-- Whale-hunting.--Various Stratagems employed to catch the Seal.--The “Keep-kuttuk.”--Bear-hunting.--Walrus-hunting.-- Awaklok and Myouk.--The Esquimaux Dog.--Games and Sports.-- Angekoks.--Moral Character.--Self-reliance.--Intelligence.-- Iligliuk.--Commercial Eagerness of the Esquimaux.--Their Voracity.--Seasons of Distress. 290 CHAPTER XXVIII. THE FUR-TRADE OF THE HUDSON’S BAY TERRITORIES. The Coureur des Bois.--The Voyageur.--The Birch-bark Canoe.-- The Canadian Fur-trade in the last Century.--The Hudson’s Bay Company.--Bloody Feuds between the North-west Company of Canada and the Hudson’s Bay Company.--Their Amalgamation into a new Company in 1821.--Reconstruction of the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1863.--Forts or Houses.--The Attihawmeg.-- Influence of the Company on its savage Dependents.--The Black Bear, or Baribal.--The Brown Bear.--The Grizzly Bear.--The Raccoon.--The American Glutton.--The Pine Marten.--The Pekan, or Wood-shock.--The Chinga.--The Mink.--The Canadian Fish-otter.--The Crossed Fox.--The Black or Silvery Fox.-- The Canadian Lynx, or Pishu.--The Ice-hare.--The Beaver.-- The Musquash. 304 CHAPTER XXIX. THE CREE INDIANS, OR EYTHINYUWUK. The various Tribes of the Crees.--Their Conquests and subsequent Defeat.--Their Wars with the Blackfeet.--Their Character.-- Tattooing.--Their Dress.--Fondness for their Children.--The Cree Cradle.--Vapor Baths.--Games.--Their religious Ideas.-- The Cree Tartarus and Elysium. 319 CHAPTER XXX. THE TINNÉ INDIANS. The various Tribes of the Tinné Indians.--The Dog-ribs.-- Clothing.--The Hare Indians.--Degraded State of the Women.-- Practical Socialists.--Character.--Cruelty to the Aged and Infirm. 327 CHAPTER XXXI. THE LOUCHEUX, OR KUTCHIN INDIANS.