Implements and Artefacts of the North-east Greenlanders. 419 



intended to be viewed in profile only, and can tell us nothing of 

 the proportionate breadth. The stern is bent upwards, but not the 

 stem. The manhole is situated rather far back; at this point is a 

 triangular projection; the side of it facing the stern is in its original 

 condition, while that facing the stem is somewhat damaged. The 

 hunter has probably been represented as sitting in the kayak, and the 

 anterior slanting outline possibly indicates that the skin covering has 

 been raised here and that the plane of the coaming of the manhole 

 formed an angle with the longitudinal axis of the boat. 



If a comparison should be made on the basis of this little play- 

 thing, it must be said that it recalls the sea kayak of the Aivilik ^ in 

 its straight bows, its up-curved stern, and in the oblique coaming 

 of the manhole, situated behind the centre ot the kayak; and it may 

 be added, that the above-mentioned paddle from Cape Borlace War- 

 ren resembles the paddle belonging to this Aivilik kayak ^ in the 

 outline of the blade. 



In Thostrup's description of the settlements visited by the ex- 

 pedition, some information, derived from another source, is given 

 concerning the boats from these regions. In seven different localities 

 from 77° 11' to 75° 43' N. lat. the above expedition came across as 

 many as 13 sets of stone posts which were interpreted as posts used 

 for the laying up of boats. -^ Three sets, at Renskæret (Thostrup p. 238, 

 Nos. 136 — 138), are designated posts for umiaks, while the others are 

 said to have served as posts for kayaks. 



The peculiarity of these posts is that they are ahvays found in 

 sets of three, and not, as is usual, in pairs. Thostrup is of opinion 

 that this is due to the length and greater fragility of the boats. But 

 the kayak-lengths indicated by some of the distances between the 

 posts renders this view somewhat doubtful. In four cases the dist- 

 ances betw^een the two outermost posts are only 325, 3*30, 420 and 

 450 metres; but in four others they are 610, 610, 6*40 and 675 me- 

 tres. Since it is impossible to imagine that a kayak could rest safely 

 on supports at the extreme ends — even though the addition of a 

 third post in the centre might permit the others to be placed farther 

 apart than in the case of two alone ^ — at least one metre, and pro- 

 bably more, must be added to the measurements noted above in 



' Boas III, p. 77, Fig. 106 b. 



2 Loo. cit. p. 79, Fig. 107 b. 



3 Thostrup, p. 216 (Nos. 35, 36, 37); p, 226 (Nos. 93, 95, 96); p. 238 (Nos. 136, 137, 

 1381 ; p. 257 (No. 260); p. 262 (No. 304); p. 319 (No. 655) and p. 331 (No. 721). 



* In West Greenland, where only two posts are used, these stand fairly well inside 

 the kayak, see for instance Steensby II, p. 141, Fig. 2. I myself have observed 

 cases in which the length of the kayak was more than double the distance bet- 

 ween the posts. 



