788 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 



Captain Herendeen states that sometimes a fragment of flint — though 

 generally one of iron or steel and consisting of a narrow strip of perhaps 

 the width of a large nail— was filed at the end so as to receive a 

 V-shaped notch, one point being a little longer than the other. It is 

 well known that pieces of hoop iron, nails, and other articles of iron 

 and steel are similarly employed by our native Indian 

 tribes, and it would indeed be a strange fact if the Eski- 

 mo did not seize upon and utilize such a valuable sub- 

 stance as metal when the opportunity was presented, 

 and after having seen sailors and others work them 

 into desired shape by hammering or filing. 

 The nuclei of many — I might almost say 

 nearly all — concentric circles are deeper 

 than the circles surrounding them. This 

 may be the result of having the longer 

 point of such a V-shaped notched tool 

 forced deeper into the material to be dec- 

 orated, giving the instrument a secure 

 point for rotation, so that the outer or 

 cutting end may not so readily slip from 

 its intended course. 



In this manner, and for making concentric 

 rings, one such tool would be necessary for 

 each size of circle required. Reference to 

 the various illustrations will elucidate this 

 more clearly. 



Accurate measurements of the diameters 

 of circles upon any particular specimens 

 indicate the use of a number of such in- 

 struments with different sized bits, and 

 varying distances between the points. 



Another class of circles, with nuclei, 

 appear to be made with auger bits, the 

 central pin being filed to a sharp point, while the 

 outer vertical cutting edge is alsQ filed so as to cut 

 toward the surface of the ivory, and to remove the tex- 

 ture upon which the auger is impressed. The grooves 

 resulting from such work and with such an instrument 

 are sharply defined, with lateral sides and a nearly level 

 bottom, while the circles are mathematically accurate 

 in form. An illustration of such work is reproduced in 

 plate 19, the specimen being from a locality north of Norton Sound. 

 The smaller and more delicate circles occur on earrings and other like 

 objects of personal adornment, and upon such articles of frequent need 

 as sewing utensils, examples of which are given in a number of illus- 

 trations. 



Fig. 5. 



DRILL FROM POINT 



BARROW. 



k 



Fig. 6. 



DRILL FROM POINT 

 BARROW. 



