872 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 



In fig. 90, Xos. 1, 2, and 3 represent whaling ships at anchor, the 

 middle figure being somewhat obliterated by the wearing away of the 



,.«S^' -.<fffe-rxWimre^T ^l&^ - C A . r* '^m'V - (d- 



\^-^' 



Fig. 90. 



WHALEHUNTEES AND SHIPS. 



ivory of the bow. The anchor chain is seen at No. 3. Xos. 4 and (\ are 

 the ships' boats in pursuit of whales, the specimen at Xo. 5 having been 

 harpooned, while in No. 6 the hunter is reaching down to grasp the 

 harpoon, the open hand being clearly indicated. No. 8 is a killer whale, 

 while Nos. 9 and 10 denote seals diving into the sea. 



PICTOGRAPHIC RECORDS. 



This collection of records pertains more particularly to individual 

 exploits — hunting and fishing, traveling and combat. It is practically' 

 impossible to classify all of the records or to relegate them to a spe- 

 cific subject, as the subjects are frequently not on one single theme, 

 but embrace a immber of ideas upon the same continuous face of 

 ivory; therefore the records are necessarily classified according to the 

 import of the majority of characters inscribed. 



In the accompanying series presented below there ap[)ears to be 

 more allusion to individual performances than the record of an indefi- 

 nite number of people. 



INDIVIDUAL EXPLOITS. 



The carving shown in fig. 91, made of a piece of walrus ivory, was 

 copied from the original in the Alaska Commercial Gompanj^, San 

 Francisco, California, and the interpretations were verified by Yladimir 

 Kaomolf, a Kadiak half-breed, to whom reference has already been 

 made. 



No. 1 is a native whose left hand is resting against the house, while 

 the right is directed toward the ground. The character to his right 

 represents a "shaman stick" surmounted by the emblem of a bird — a 

 "good spirit" — in memory of some departed member of the household. 

 It was suggested that the grave stick had been erected to the memory 

 of his wife. 



No. 2 represents a reindeer. 



No. 3 signifies that one man, the designer, shot and killed another 

 with an arrow. The elbow of the arm drawing the arrow is seen pro- 

 jecting behind the back, illustrating close observation on the part of 

 the artist. 



