Dr King on the Physical Characters of the Esquimaux. 305 



the hair on the crown, and a few club it behind after our 

 own manner, leaving the rest of the hair to hang down.* 

 Those of the Mackenzie River wear it very tastefully turned 

 up from behind to the top of the head, and tied by strings of 

 white and blue beads, or cords of white deer-skin. It is divided 

 in front, so as to form on each side a thick tail, to which are 

 appended strings of beads that reach to the waist, t At Kotze- 

 bue's Sound, J Boothia,§ and Melville Peninsula, || they sepa- 

 rate their hair into two equal parts, one of which hangs on 

 each side of their heads and in front of their shoulders. To 

 stiffen and bind these, they use a narrow strip of deer- 

 skin, attached at one end to a round piece of bone 14 inches 

 long, tapered to a point, and covered over with leather. This 

 looks like a little whip, the handle of which is placed up and 

 down the hair, and the strap wound round it in a number of 

 spiral turns, making the tail, thus equipped, very much re- 

 semble one of those formerly worn by our seamen. The strap 

 of this article of dress, which altogether is called a togleega, 

 is so made from the deer-skin as to shew, when bound round 

 the hair, alternate turns of white and dark fur, which give it 

 a very neat and ornamental appearance. On ordinary occa- 

 sions, it is considered slovenly not to have the hair thus dressed, 

 and the neatest of the women never visited the ships without 

 it. Those who are less nice, dispose the hair into a loose 

 plait on each side, or have one togleega and one plait ; and 

 others, again, wholly disregarding the business of the toilette, 

 merely tuck the hair in under the breast of the jackets. 



This slovenly disposal of the hair was found to be the case with 

 the natives of the River Clyde, IF and Hudson Straits.** The 

 Esquimaux of Labrador, Hudson's Straits, tt and the GreatFish 

 River, J t wear the hair parted in front into two festoons, se- 

 cured by a fillet of white deer skin twined around the head, 

 whilst the remainder flows gracefully over the neck and shoul- 

 ders, or is tied up into a knot behind. At Southampton Island, 

 the same style is adopted, but instead of using a band for the 

 purpose, it is twisted into its position. The natives of Green- 



* Cook. t Franklin, Richardson. X Beechy. § Ross. 



jl Parry, Lyon. H Frobisher. ** Chappell. ft King. J| Lyon. 



