898 REPORT OP NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 



lu this coimectioii may be mentioned a commou device used by the 

 natives of southern Alaska and Kadiak to indicate direction taken or 

 to be taken. When hunters become separated the one first return- 

 iiio- to the forks of the trail puts a piece of wood in the ground, on the 

 ton of which he makes an incision, into which a short piece of wood is 

 secured horizontally so as to point in the direction taken. 



This device is sometimes drawn upon ivory and other materials, in 

 connection with -other objects to make pictographic records, and then 

 simply represents a character like the letter T, the upper crosspiece 

 being veiy sliort in comparison Avith the vertical stroke. 



The practice of erecting such sticks to indicate direction is very com- 

 mon to the tribes living along the Great Lakes, especially the Crees 

 and the Ojibwa. 



Plate 25, fig. 2, represents a snuffbox of walrus ivory. This speci- 

 men, which was obtained at Xorton Sound, is crude and very old. Upon 

 the upper border or margin is a line encircling the specimen, upon 

 which is a series of very interesting although crude figures. The only 

 engraved character below the line, upon one side, is a very rude sledge 

 attached to a long-necked dog. 



The pipe represented in plate 71 measures lOi inches in length along 

 the lower outer curve, while the ornamental head in front is 1 inch in 

 length. The latter is easily removed, being merely an ornamental head 

 of the peg used to plug the drilled tube of the pipestem. The stem is 

 three fourths of an inch in lateral diameter and about Ih inches through 

 the stem at the back of the bowl— from top to botton). The bowl and 

 its supporting stem is li inches in height. Upon either side of the rim 

 of the bowl is a carved human face with blackened eyes and mouth, 

 the nose being quite pronounced. 



The engravings occupy the four sides of the stem, the two lower 

 panels being reserved for boating scenes, while the upper are retained 

 for game and village scenes. Upon the upper right-Iian<f side are six 

 reindeer, followed by a wolf, while before the foremost reindeer is the 

 figure of a man in the attitude of following sea fowl, evidently in the 

 attempt to secure some. 



Beneath this scene is a fleet of eight umiaks, under rail, while in 

 each vessel are the outlines of human figures, one at the bow of the 

 leading umiak reaching toward, or grasping, the foresail stay, while 

 every helmsman has his oar to steer his boat. In tlie fifth boat — forward 

 from the mouth]iiece of the pipe — is one native smoking his pipe. 



On the left-hand side, in the lower space, are six kaiaks, each having 

 its occupant using the ])addle, while toward the stem is seen projecting 

 the harpoon and seal-skin iioat, ready and inflated for use. 



The upper space portrays a village scene, in the middle being the 

 dome-shaped winter habitation, from which smoke is issuing; three 

 persons upon the roof of the entrance are watching the return of the 

 liunters, one raising his arms as if hailing the latter with pleasure at 



