ARCTIC ALASKA. 385 



A camp was made at the head-waters of the Ik-pik-puk, and 

 runners were sent ahead to the village below to announce our ar- 

 rival — this being the usual custom. Early the next morning dogs 

 came to help our worn-out animals, and at noon we reached the 

 village, where one hundred and fifty Indians were encamped wait- 

 ing for the river to break up. We had evidently been expected — 

 a place having been reserved for us — and while the new-comers 

 rested, the women unharnessed and fed the dogs, pitched our tents, 

 and prepared food. In the center of the village was a great dance- 

 house, where the men gathered to work during the day, and dance 

 at night. They are very fond of this amusement, sometimes con- 

 tinuing it the night through. Some of the dances are pretty, the 

 motions being graceful, but they soon become monotonous. The 

 music is produced by from four to ten " tom-toms," upon which 

 they beat time, while shouting at the top of their voices a rude 

 monotone. Men, women, and children all dance — often continuing 

 until they drop from exhaustion. The first things taught children 

 are to dance, shoot the bow and arrow, and to smoke. It is a com- 

 mon occurrence to see a mother take the child from her breast and 

 give it her pipe. 



At this time — the last of May — we had quantities of berries. 

 They had ripened during the last season ; the snow had preserved 

 them through the winter, and was now melting sufficiently to ex- 

 pose the bushes. While waiting for the river to break up, the men 

 busied themselves in repairing the old and making new boat- 

 frames. Their boats are of two kinds: the kayal; or one-man 

 boat, and the oomiiak, a large boat capable of carrying a ton. The 

 frames for these boats are whittled entirely by hand. After they 

 are thus made and fitted, they are securely lashed with whalebone 

 strips, and are then ready for their covers. The oomiaks are cov- 

 ered with seal or walrus skins, five to seven of which form a cover. 

 The kayaks are covered with deer-skin, the skins being first 

 soaked and scraped. These covers, which had been cached all 

 winter, were now taken out and buried beneath the melting snow, 

 to render them soft and pliable. 



The women were busy currying deer-skins for clothing, and 

 making twine for fish-nets. The native tanning consists of scrap- 

 ing the dried skin thoroughly with an instrument made by put- 

 ting a piece of flint-rock in a wooden handle, so curved as to fit 

 the hand perfectly. The stone is chipped at one end, so as to make 

 a rough, sharp edge. After scraping, it is rubbed with a soft stone 

 resembling pumice, which whitens and softens it. The finished 

 skin looks and feels like chamois. The twine with which they 

 sew is made from the sinews of the deer, which are dried and torn 

 in shreds, and these are twisted together, making a very strong 

 cord. This is used for making nets also, any required strength 

 VOL. XXXIII. — 25 



