lOG TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Dall gave a description of Norton Sound, which is a shallow 

 estuary subject to sudden changes in depth due to direction of wind. 

 Seal fishing in winter is practiced on the edge of the ice about ten 

 to twenty miles from shore, but is attended with much danger owing 

 to the liability of the floe to break up and go to sea with a strong 

 eastwardly wind. The best seasons are early autumn and spring. 

 In summer short nets supported by three stakes driven in the mud 

 in about one to two fathoms water where thereis current are used 

 and take many seal. The upper edge of the net is taut, the lower 

 part hangs nearly free, and about five feet in height. The seal are 

 usually drowned in the net, but if living are killed with a club. If 

 a seal is shot and then secured, a pin like a large nail with a broad 

 head is fastened in the wound to prevent loss of blood which is 

 much esteemed in the Innuit cuisine. 



A peculiar spear or lance is used by the Nunivak people, being a 

 three-sided ivory point as large as the biggest walrus tusk will make, 

 straight, mounted on a heavy wooden shaft. The head may be 

 eighteen inches long, is drilled in the median line of each face to the 

 center of the blade, and a slit is then sawed nearly the whole length, 

 the three slits meet in the center which is entirely excavated, but 

 without enlarging the slits which remain only as wide as the thick- 

 ness of the saw. Pressure from behind springs out the thin walls 

 of the lance head which has a sharp apex — on the removal of pressure 

 the walls resume their position gripping firmly the tissues which 

 have protruded into the slips. Pulling only tightens the grip. 

 This style of lance has not as far as the speaker was aware been 

 any where described, though the specimens which he saw in 1868 

 were afterwards sent to one of the museums in Germany. 



Responding to a question, Mr. Dall said that he thought we 

 were not at present in a position to adjudge whether the Eskimo were 

 related to the cave dwellers as advocated by Dawkins, though their 

 mode of life presents many similarities. 



Prof. Mason spoke of the richness of information now at our 

 command in Washington, Greenland being represented by Dr. Bes- 

 sels; Cumberband Gulf by Dr. Boas; Ungava Bay by Lucien M. 

 Turner; Point Barrow by Mr. Murdock; and the Western Eskimos 

 by Mr. Dall. He also called the attention of the Society to the 

 great amount of invention wrapped up in an Eskimo harpoon. 

 Hitherto students had been satisfied with speaking of harpoons with- 



