38 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARCTIC AMERICA. 



the ajak-JcaJjujaJi', or ivory fish-bait. It is about four inches in lengthy 

 and is made to look as much like a fish as possible. A line is passed 

 through the middle of the back, aud is fastened on the belly ; here is a 

 small ivor}' hook that reaches from an inch to two inches below the fish. 

 The x)rincipal use of the ajalJcaljitjalc is not, however, to hooh fish, but 

 to lure them within reach of the spear. The Eskimo takes his ivory fish 

 and bobs it up and down in the water, generally in a tide crack or a 

 hole in the ice on purpose, and watches till he spies a fish making for it. 

 He then gently begins to haul in on his line, if the fish follows the lure, 

 till it is within reach of his spear; sometimes a greedy fish will swallow 

 the bait and get caught with this primitive gear. At the present 

 day they seldom use this implement. Iron fish-hooks are supplied them 

 from the ships ; but they are poor fishermen comijared with the Green- 

 landers. 



One little implement of comparatively insignificant importance seems 

 not to have been superseded by any modern substitute as yet. It is the 

 JcadjuJc, a small piece of ivory of different shapes, used to insert in the 

 lips of the seals while dragging them over the ice. We have given illus- 

 trations of the i)rincipal patterns we found in use. ]S"o. 8 is the same as 

 No. 7 when seen from the top. This is a very ingenious piece of work. 

 The main body of the piece is hollow, and the portion No. 11 has a head 

 which prevents it pulling through, but at the same time turns freely, 

 and prevents the line from tv^isting when the seal turns over. It is so 

 well made that the inside piece cannot be got through any of the open- 

 ings. No. 3. is No. 2 seen from the top. No. 10 is sometimes used as a 

 part of the clasp on the sealing line. Nos. 1, 4, aud 9 are the common- 

 est patterns. No sealer's line is without one or more of these imi)le- 

 ments of some pattern or othei- ; they are all made from walrus ivory. 



Of prime Importance to the Eskimo hunter is his hook for catching 

 the young seal. Here again their old pattern has been modified by 

 their contact with the whites. A glance at the aocompanying figures 

 will sufQciently explain the sbape of these implements. The upper 

 figure represents the ancient pattern; it was found in a grave in the 

 Greater Kingwah Fjord, but so much decayed as to fall to pieces when 

 handled ; the hook part was made from a portion of a reindeer's antler, 

 with a small barb cut near the point. Its resemblance to the iron hook 

 of the x)resent day is very aj)parent. 



The sealing hook of the present day is made generally from a di.scarded 

 whale lance ; the handle is a light wooden shaft about five feet in length. 



