42 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARCTIC AMERICA. 



they use liucly braideil doer sinews for the snares, instead of seal skin. 

 They take a good many eiders on their nests in this manner. 



AVhen travelinjij over tlie frozen Mastes in winter they nse snow-slioes. 

 Tliese are lialf-moon-shaped, of whalebone, with seal-skin thongs tightly 

 drawn across. They are abont sixteen inches long. Another pattern 

 is merely a frame of wood, abont the same length, and eight or teu 

 inches wide, with seal-skin thongs for the foot to rest on. As their dogs* 

 feet often get very sore while traveling on crusty snow, they make them 

 little moccasins of seal slcin to protect the feet. 



Nearly all the Eskimo become snow-blind in spring, though they use 

 eye-blinkers of wood. These are only a piece of wood fitting closely 

 over the eyes, and liaving a horizontal slit about one-sixteenth of an 

 inch wide; it afibrds a good deal of protection to the eyes, but they are 

 generally not jHit on till the con<lition of their eyes forbids them going 

 without. Some eye-blinkers of bone were found in a grave; they were 

 apparently very okl, and of a (lilii-rcnt patlcni, but so mucli decayed as 

 not to admit of handling. 



All the Cumberland Eskimo of the present day have sledges of wood. 

 This has either been bartered from the whalemen or secured from the 

 wrecks of ships. There are, nevertheless, some remains occasionally 

 found of sledges that were composed entirely of bone, whales' jaw bone 

 apparently. They were made in many ])ieces, and ingcnictusly lashed 

 together. All their sledges of the present day are shod witli lioiic, and 

 when about to undertake a journey they pour warmed blood ui»on the 

 under surface of the bone shoeing; some use water, but this does not 

 last nearly so long as blood, and is more apt to chip olV. This coating 

 makes a very smooth surface, and also protects the runners. All their 

 sledges have a sort of ui)right on the back end. This is nothing more 

 than a deers head, with the antlers attached, the antleis being lashed 

 on the top edge of eitlicr inniier. This serves lor a variety <»t' purposes, 

 and is v<'ry handy indeed. 



The; kyai'k of the Cuinbeiland Inuit does not seem tohav<' undergone 

 any change in pattern since the whites came among them. Still, these 

 craft are extremely rude and bulky, compared with the ("ireen landers' 

 kyack ; neither do they cctnipare with the ( "ireenlauilers in e\]tertness in 

 its use. These kyacks are mostly so large that the> w(»nlil rea«lily cany 

 two persons, and quite heavy. They <lo not carry so much gear uj)0Ji 

 their kyacks as the Groenlandors; the seal spear, walrus si»ear, and bird 

 spCiir. wit h tlieir ics])eft i\ e lines. ;iie altont all. unless they are att«'r some 



