310 VOYAGE TO THE 



CHAP. Esquimaux buckle on a piece of ivory, called mun-era, 



.__.^ about three or four inches long, hollowed out to the 



Oct. wrist, or a g-uard made of several pieces of ivory or 



1827. ' O i. J 



wood fastened together like an ironholder. 



Fishing implements are more numerous and varied 

 with the Western Esquimaux than with the others, 

 and some are constructed with much neatness and 

 ingenuity ; but I do not know that any of them re- 

 quire description, except a landing net, and that only 

 because it is not mentioned by Captain Parry. This 

 consists of a circular frame of wood or bone, about 

 eight inches in diameter, worked across with whale- 

 bone like the bottoms of cane chairs, and fixed upon 

 a long wooden handle. 



Of all their manufactures, that of ivory chains is 

 the most ingenious. These are cut out of solid pieces 

 of ivory, each link being separately relieved, and are 

 sometimes twenty-six inches in length. For what 

 purpose they are used I know not ; but part of the 

 last link is frequently left solid, and formed in imita- 

 tion of a whale ; and these chains being strong, they 

 may in some way or other be appropriated to the 

 capture of that animal. 



Among a great many singularly shaped tools in the 

 possession of these people, we noticed several that are 

 not in Captain Parry's catalogue, such as instruments 

 for breaking wood short off; small hand chisels, 

 consisting of pieces of hard stone fixed in bone handles 

 adapted to the palm of the hand ; meshes for making 

 nets ; an instrument made with the claws of a seal, for 

 cleansing skins of their fat, &c. Though I never saw 

 the screw in use among this tribe, yet I found a worm 

 properly cut upon the end of one of their fishing 

 implements. The pannn, or double-edged knife, is 



