better, and spend time with ieoperdie. [Sidenote: A good president of a
good Captain shewed by Captain Frobisher.] And therefore our Generall
setting the Myners to worke, and shewing first a good president of a
painefull labourer and a goode Captaine in himselfe, gaue good examples for
other to follow him: whereupon euery man both better and worse, with their
best endeuours willingly layde to their helping hands. And the next day,
being the thirtieth of Iuly, the Michaell was sent ouer to Iackmans sound,
for the Ayde and the whole companie to come thither. [Sidenote: The maner
of their houses in this country.] Vpon the maine land ouer against the
Countesses Iland we discouered and behelde to our greate maruell the poore
caues and houses of those countrey people, which serue them (as it should
seeme) for their winter dwellings, and are made two fadome vnder grounde,
in compasse round, like to an Ouen, being ioyned fast one by another,
hauing holes like to a Foxe or Conny berry, to keepe and come togither.
They vndertrenched these places with gutters so, that the water falling
from the hilles aboue them, may slide away without their annoyance: and are
seated commonly in the foote of a hill, to shield them better from the cold
windes, hauing their doore and entrance euer open towards the South.
[Sidenote: Whales bones vsed in stead of timber.] From the ground vpward
they builde with whales bones, for lacke of timber, which bending one ouer
another, are handsomely compacted in the top together, and are couered ouer
with Seales skinnes, which in stead of tiles, fence them from the raine. In
which house they haue only one roome, hauing the one halfe of the floure
raised with broad stones a foot higher than the other, whereon strawing
Mosse, they make their nests to sleep in. [Sidenote: The sluttishness of
these people.] They defile these dennes most filthily with their beastly
feeding, and dwell so long in a place (as we thinke) vntill their
sluttishnes lothing them, they are forced to seeke a sweeter ayre, and a
new seate, and are (no doubt) a dispersed and wandring nation, as the
Tartarians, and liue in hords and troupes, without any certaine abode, as