508 CLOTHES. ORNAMENTS. CHEEK-STUDS. 



The clothes of the Esquimaux are made from the skins of 

 reindeer, seals, and birds, sewn together with sinews. For 

 needles they use bones either of birds or fishes; yet with 

 these simple instruments they sew very strongly and well. 

 The outer dress of the men resembles a short great-coat, with 

 a hood that can be pulled over the head if necessary, and 

 which serves as a substitute for a hat or cap. Their under- 

 garments or shirts are made of bird-skins with the feathers 

 ft 



inwards ; or of skins with the hair inside ; sometimes, how- 

 ever, they wear in addition another shirt made of seal's 

 entrails. Their breeches, " of which in winter they also wear 

 two pair, and similarly disposed as to the fur,"* are either of 

 seal-skin or reindeer-skin, and their stockings of skins from 

 very young animals. The boots are of smooth black dressed 

 seal's leather, and sometimes when at sea they wear a great 

 overcoat of the same material Their clothes are generally 

 very greasy and dirty, and swarm with lice. The dress of the 

 women does not differ much from that of the men. 



Among the Western tribes the prin- FIG 220. 



cipal ornaments are cheek-studs (fig. 

 220), or pieces of polished stone or 

 bone, which are worn in the lower lip 

 or cheeks. The hole is made in early 

 infancy, and gradually enlarged by a Esquimaux cheek-stud, 

 series of "guides."^ These "labrets," however, are not worn 

 by the Eastern tribes. According to Richardson, they are in 

 use from Behring Straits to the Mackenzie river. J They are 

 worn exclusively by the men. The women paint their eye- 

 brows ; and tattoo the face, and especially the chin, in blue 

 lines. The other ornaments consist of strips of variously 



* Parry, 1. c. p. 495. t Arctic Expedition, vol. i. p. 



t Vancouver's Voyage, vol. ii. 355. 



p. 280; see also p. 408; Belcher, Beechey's Voyage, vol. i. p. 



1. c. p. 141. 280. 



