Profile of Greenland Kayak from Disko Bay, in the Na- 

 tional Museum (USNM 72564). Collected by Maj. Wm. M. 

 Beebe, Jr., 1882. {Smithsonian photo i^ysS-D.) 



Ross found that the Greenland Eskimos north of 

 Cape York had ceased to use kayaks in 1818. Not 

 untU about 1860 was the kayak reintroduced here, 

 by Eskimos from Pond Inlet, north Baffin Island, 

 who walked over the sea ice. This fact probably 

 accounts for the various sharpie and modified sharpie 

 forms used along the northern and Polar coasts of 

 Greenland. 



The model of the kayak used on much of the central 

 and southern coasts of Greenland has changed rather 

 extensively since 1883, and this change has apparently 

 affected the kayaks used on the east coast as well. 

 In this part of the Arctic, the Eskimo are notable 

 kayakers and the boat is not only well designed 

 but also carries highly developed equipment and 

 weapons for its work. The basic model used is a 

 graceful V-bottom one, with raking ends and rather 

 strong sheer. In the old boats represented by the 

 drawings of figures 206 and 207, the sheer is strong at 

 bow and stern, but this form has been gradually 

 going out of favor. The kayaks are narrow but 

 their shape gives them much stability. Pegged to 

 the bow and stern are plates of bone to protect 

 them from ice; in rare cases these bone stem bands. 



or bang plates, are lashed in place. The first drawing 

 shows the construction used: light strong gunwales 

 and a 3-batten longitudinal system with bent trans- 

 verse frames. The keelson and chines — light, rec- 

 tangular in section and placed on edge — are shaped 

 slightly to fair the sealskin covering. The cover 

 passes under the manhole rim. Bow and stern are 

 made of plank on edge, shaped to the required 

 profile. The gunwales are strongly tapered in depth 

 fore and aft. Eight to twelve thwarts, or deck 

 beams, are used in addition to the two heavy thwarts 

 supporting the manhole; usually there is one more 

 forward of the manhole than there is aft, and all 

 are very light scantlings. The thwart forward of 

 the manhole stands slightly inside the cockpit and is 

 strongly arched; the after one is clear of the cockpit 

 opening and has very litde arch. Two light, short 

 battens, or carlins, 24 to 36 inches long support the 

 deck, where it sweeps up to the raked manhole, and 

 usually there are two abaft the manhole as well. 

 Lashings are used as fastenings except at the ends 

 of the hull, where pegs secure the keelson to the 

 stem and stern; at this point, on some kayaks ex- 

 amined, sinew lashings are also found. The whole 



Figure 202 



Deck of Greenland Kayak from Disko Bay (USNM 

 72564). {Smithsonian photo 15726-0.) 



208 



