THE LAMP OF THE ESKIMO. 



1039 



at least very disagreeable the Koraks construct around the inner cir- 

 cumference of the tents small, nearly air-tight apartments, called 

 'pologs,' which are separated one from another by skin curtaius and 

 combine the advantages of cxclusiveness with the desirable luxury of 

 greater warmth. These 'pologs' are about 4 feet in height and 6 or 

 8 feet in width or length. They are made of the heaviest furs sewed 

 carefully together to exclude the air, and are warmed and lighted by a 

 burning fragment of moss floating in a wooden bowl of seal oil." ' 



The typical forms of Eskimo lamps are shown on i)late -54. Thrown 

 together in this way they furnish at a view the 

 gradation of forms throughout the whole Eskimo 

 area. 



The range of the lamp southward from the 

 Aleutian Islands is limited. The only informa- 

 tion that a lamp of any description was in use 

 among the Northwest Coast Indians was given 

 the author by Captain Chase, who visited Cape 

 Flattery and Vancouver Island in 1850. Captain 

 Chase says that these Indians used a lami) made 

 from the clam shell, and burned whale blubber 

 or porpoise oil in them, with a bark wick. 



Dr. Franz Boas informs the writer that the 

 Indians of Vancouver often throw oil on the fire 

 from a bottle when they desire more light. Mr. 

 Lucien M. Turner also states that when the 

 Aleuts require more heat they place the bowlder 

 lamp on the ground and lay a piece of cloth or 

 shreds of grass in the oil and light it, getting a 

 larger flame. 



The lamps of northern Europe and Asia, ex- 

 amined with a view of ascertaining the aftilia- 

 tions of the lamps of the Eskimo, give little data 

 for conclusions. There were mediaeval stone- 

 grease lamps in use in northern Europe above the oil line, so named 

 by Dr. Taylor. The only exam^fle known by the writer is from Scot- 

 land and was figured by D. Bruce Peebles.- This lamp (fig. 3) is curi- 

 ously like those of the Alaskan Peninsula. In the present state of the 

 inquiry it seems the Eskimo lamp forms a homogeneous group differing 

 in administration from any other lamps in the world, the peculiar herit- 

 age of this people and necessary to their welfare. 



The conclusions reached are that the Eskimo before he migrated from 

 his priscanhome had the lamp, this utensil being a prerequisite to migra- 

 tion into high latitude; that one of the most important functions of the 

 lamp is for melting snow and ice for drinking water; that the lamp is 



1 George Kennan, Tent Life in Siberia, New York, 1881, p. 175. 

 -TrauB. Royal Scottish Society of Arts, XII, Pt. 1. 



Figs. 3, 4. 

 OLD STONE LAMP (crusie) ; 



STONE MATKIX IN WHICH 

 IRON WAS HAMMEBED TO 



ITORM criisies. 



Scotland. 



From Trims. Roy. Scottish See. Arts. 

 XII, Pt. 1. 



