He has never been farther north himself
than Marble Island, which he distinguishes as being the spot where the
Large ships were wrecked, alluding to the disastrous termination of
Barlow and Knight's Voyage of Discovery.* He says however that Esquimaux
of three different tribes have traded with his countrymen and that they
described themselves as having come across land from a northern sea. One
tribe who named themselves Ahwhacknanhelett he supposes may come from
Repulse Bay; another designated Ootkooseekkalingmoeoot or Stone-Kettle
Esquimaux reside more to the westward; and the third the Kangorrmoeoot or
White Goose Esquimaux describe themselves as coming from a great distance
and mentioned that a party of Indians had killed several of their tribe
in the summer preceding their visit. Upon comparing the dates of this
murder with that of the last massacre which the Copper Indians have
perpetrated on these harmless and defenceless people they appear to
differ two years; but the lapse of time is so inaccurately recorded that
this difference in their accounts is not sufficient to destroy their
identity; besides, the Chipewyans, the only other Indians who could
possibly have committed the deed, have long since ceased to go to war. If
this massacre should be the one mentioned by the Copper Indians the
Kangorrmoeoot must reside near the mouth of the Anatessy, or River of
Strangers.
(Footnote. See Introduction to Hearne's Journey page 24.)
The winter habitations of Esquimaux who visit Churchill are built of snow
and, judging from one constructed by Augustus today, they are very
comfortable dwellings. Having selected a spot on the river where the snow
was about two feet deep and sufficiently compact he commenced by tracing
out a circle twelve feet in diameter. The snow in the interior of the
circle was next divided with a broad knife having a long handle into
slabs three feet long, six inches thick, and two feet deep, being the
thickness of the layer of snow. These slabs were tenacious enough to
admit of being moved about without breaking or even losing the sharpness
of their angles and they had a slight degree of curvature corresponding
with that of the circle from which they were cut. They were piled upon
each other exactly like courses of hewn stone around the circle which was
traced out and care was taken to smooth the beds of the different courses
with the knife, and to cut them so as to give the wall a slight
inclination inwards, by which contrivance the building acquired the
properties of a dome. The dome was closed somewhat suddenly and flatly by
cutting the upper slabs in a wedge-form instead of the more rectangular
shape of those below. The roof was about eight feet high, and the last
aperture was shut up by a small conical piece. The whole was built from
within and each slab was cut so that it retained its position without
requiring support until another was placed beside it, the lightness of
the slabs greatly facilitating the operation.
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