10 



several opiüions, especially in connection with some very popular 

 Eskimo traditions speaking of men who trained wild animals to 

 cross the frozen sea with them. But still there seems to be 

 such good reason for granting the possibility of the dog sledge 

 having been invented by the Eskimo before their becoming a 

 maritime arctic people, that we prefer not to complicate our 

 research by argueing concerning this invention. Of the two 

 kinds of Eskimo skinboats, the large and open Umiak ( »family » 

 or owiwes boat»), and the small, and wholly closed Kayak, the 

 latter evidently occupies the first rank in regard to culture 

 history. Although varying somewhat as to its more or less 

 adeqvate construction, it shows no essential difference except 

 in the mode of propulsion. When coming from the west and 

 south, in Southern Alaska we first meet with the kayak, it Is 

 propelled with a onebladed oar or paddle just like that used by 

 the Indians in their canoes. Not before one reaches northern 

 Alaska does the well known double-bladed kayak oar make its 

 appearance, and, not before east of the Mackenzie river is the 

 former wholly abolished and supplanted by it. Our vocabulary 

 shows that the following objects are identically named in the 

 eastern and the western dialects: 1) THE OPEN SKIINBOAT, 2) THE 

 ONE-BLADED PADDLE, 3) MAST, 4) SAIL, 5| KAYAK, 6) KAYAK SIDE- 

 LATHS, 7) KAYAK RIBS, 8| KAYAK PROW, 9) KAYAK CROSS-PIECE, 

 10) THE DOUBLE OAR. Only the objects 6 — 9 have been omitted 

 in the vocabularies of the Extreme West. 



In passing to the weapons and other instruments of chase, 

 we leave out the bow and arrow, the same as they may have 

 used in their original home, and similar to those still used by 

 their Indian neighbours in the chase ashore. As to weapons 

 we therefore only have to consider those for stabbing and for 

 throwing. The simplest of them is that which is wielded with 

 the hand, and remains in the hand after having been applied: 

 viz. the lance or spear for stabbing. The highest development 

 on the other hand is exhibited in the large harpoon with the 



