Page:The frozen North; an account of Arctic exploration for use in schools (IA frozennorthaccou00hort).pdf/59

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traveled eight miles by sledge, with Metek's excellent team of twelve wild Eskimo dogs. They rode very swiftly over the ice and snow, until at last Kane saw what looked like two dark spots on the pure white surface. These spots were the entrances to two Eskimo huts.

Interior of an Eskimo Hut.

From a drawing by Dr. Kane.

The Eskimo huts are built of large stones and are heavily sodded with turf or moss. They are shaped like half of an egg, and the entrance is a tunnel, through which the dwellers creep on their hands and knees. The door is a slab of slate or ice. At this time the huts were buried under the snow.

The natives rushed out to meet the travelers. They seemed delighted to see Kane, but the cold soon drove them inside again. Kane and Metek followed, crawling