Dr King on the Industrial Arts of the Esquimaux, 121 



the bones, teeth, or nose of the fox or wolverine, or the ears 

 of the rein-deer, hanging in pairs to the number of twenty or 

 thirty, trophies of the skill of the hunter to whom the wearer 

 is allied, and the same ornaments are attached as a fringe to 

 the lower parts of the jackets. To the drawing-strings of 

 the women's breeches, which are of greater length than those 

 of the men, and made to hang down on one side, are fre- 

 quently appended as ornaments, a grinder or two of the musk- 

 ox, a piece of carved ivory, a small ball of wood, or perfo- 

 rated stone. At Schismareif Inlet, the men ornament the 

 ends of these strings with a tuft of hair, the wing of a bird, 

 or the tail of a fox ; and as they do not take the precaution 

 to turn the string on one side, as is usually the case, it dan- 

 gles behind as they walk, and gives them a very ridiculous 

 appearance. Captain Beechy thinks it probable, that it was 

 this feature that gave rise to the report of the Tschuktchi of 

 Northern Asia, recorded by Muller, that the people of Ame- 

 rica had tails like dogs. 



The tent of the Esquimaux is merely a temporary summer 

 habitation, formed generally of the skin of the walrus, cut into 

 layers of about the thickness of a dollar, and extremely trans- 

 parent and oily. The entrance or front faces the south, and 

 as a protection to its back or northern point, seal-skins are 

 placed. Beneath this is the sleeping place, alone distin- 

 guished by having several deer-skins spread on the bare 

 ground. The seams of the covering are sewed together so as 

 to be perfectly water-proof, and to the door-way are hung 

 additional skins. One central pole of bones or broken spears, 

 tacked together, gives height and support, and large stones 

 or gravel, instead of pegs, size and shape to the tent ; the dia- 

 meter of the floor being ten, twelve, or fourteen feet, according 

 to the number of inmates. From the top of the pole one or 

 two skin lines are carried for security and steadiness, which, 

 at Kofczebue Sound and Labrador, is rendered unnecessary ; 

 for in these localities, four poles are used, which, uniting 

 at the top, and spreading at the base, give strength and 

 shape to the tent. 



The drawings made by Mr Henry Ellis and Dr Richard- 

 son of the tents observed by them at Hudson Bay and the 



