14^ 



928 KEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 



tious. These are temporary dwellings, and usually constructed at a 

 distance from liome. This also indicates the professiou of a skin liunter, 

 as the iiermanent lodges, iudicated as winter bouses, i. e., with round 

 or dome-like roof, are located near the seashore, and summer houses 

 are only needed when at some distance from home, where a considera- 

 ble length of time is spent in hunting. 

 The accompanying illustration, fig. 148, is of a similar nature, and is 

 erected to the memory of a fisherman. 

 At a is represented the baidarka, containing the owner 

 >V and a companion, probably denoting the friend of him to 



" whose memory the tablet was erected. No. b denotes 



rthe bow used in shooting seal and other small marine 

 animals. 

 '' No. e is a seal, the chief object of pursuit of the deceased, 



while d indicates a whale, an animal also hunted by him. 

 In the illustration in fig. 149 is a drawing of a village 

 and burial ground, drawn by a native in imitation of the 

 ^"^^ original seen by him among the natives of the southern 

 Fig. 148. maiidand — the Aigaluxamut. Carvings are generally on 



INSCRIPTION FROM walrus Ivory, and often on wooden slats. In No. 7 is a 

 ORAVE POST. representation of the grave post, in position, bearing an 

 inscrij)tion similar in general character to those in the last two pre- 

 ceding figures. 

 The interpretation of the characters is as follows: 

 Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 represent various styles of habitations composing 

 the village. No. 5 is an elevated structure used for storing food. No. 

 6 is a box with wrappings, containing the corpse of a child. Scaffold 

 burial is frequent among some of the natives. The small lines, with ball 

 attached, are ornamental appendages, consisting of strii)S of cloth or 

 skin, with charms, or sometimes tassels. No. 7 is the grave post, bear- 

 ing rude illustrations of the Aveapons and utensils used by the deceased 



1 



Fig. 149. 

 VTI.LAfiE AND BURIAL GROUNDS. 



during life. No. 8 is a grave scaffold, containing the body of an adult. 

 Besides the ornamental appendages, as in No. 6 preceding, there is a 

 "shaman stick" erected over the box containing the corpse, as a mark 

 of good wishes. 



CONVENTIONALIZING. 



Some examples of decoration are presented herewith, in which there 

 often appears to be solely an attempt at ornamenting the otherwise 

 plain surface of ivory. In others there are evidences of an advance 

 in the graphic representation of objects, in that the originals are no 



