308 Dr King on the Physical Characters of the Esquimaux. 



these which encircle the arms, and parallel to each other, there 

 are ornamental devices, but without any meaning.* Between 

 the Mackenzie and the Coppermine Rivers, and at St Law- 

 rence Island, the women are tattoed across the cheeks only-t 

 At St Lawrence Island, however, there is one peculiarity in 

 the outer line, extending from the lower jaw over the temple 

 and eyebrow. J Westward of the Mackenzie, five or six blue 

 lines merely are drawn perpendicularly from under the lip to 

 the chin ;§ and at Norton and Kotzebue Sounds, || the same 

 fashion is adopted, but at the latter Sound the lines are re- 

 duced to three.f Captain Cook has not stated the number 

 of lines which marked the natives of Norton Sound ; he has 

 only mentioned the fact of their being tattoed from the under 

 lip to the chin. At Labrador and Southampton Island, in- 

 stead of lines, small dots are substituted.** 



The operation of tattooing is performed about the age of 

 ten, and is very expeditiously managed by passing a needle 

 and thread, the latter covered with lamp-black and oil, under 

 the skin according to a pattern previously marked out. Se- 

 veral stitches being thus taken at once, the thumb is pressed 

 upon the part, while the thread is drawn through, by which 

 means the colouring matter is retained, and a permanent dye 

 of a blue tinge imparted to the skin. It is a painful as well 

 as tedious process, especially as the needles are made of strips 

 of whalebone. For those parts where a needle cannot con- 

 veniently be passed under the skin, the method by puncture is 

 used.ft 



Although the Esquimaux men do not practise tattooing, 

 many of them pierce the lower part of the face for the pur- 

 pose of introducing various kinds of ornaments. From Prince 

 William's Sound to the Mackenzie, this custom is universally 

 adopted ; but, as far as our knowledge extends, it is confined 

 within those limits. The lower lip, each corner of the mouth, 

 and the septum of the nose, are the parts selected for the pur- 

 pose ; but it is more generally the fashion to pierce only the 



* Parry, Ross, King. t Richardson, Beechy. X Beechy. 



§ Franklin. || Cook. ^ Beechy. 



** Frobisher, Lyon. ft Parry. 



