180 



Morten P. Porsild. 



The sledge (qamutaussat, 129) (Fig. 30) has two runners (qamutitai, 

 129) which are 25 — 35 cm. in length, 7 — 10 cm. in height. These 

 runners are furnished with strips of shaggy skin (perdlait, 293) to prevent 

 any crackling in the frozen snow. In front the runners terminate 

 in a couple of down-turned crooks {nigsik, 247), which have to grip 

 the lower cross-beam of the screen. The runners are connected by two 

 cross-beams {naput, 237) and into each of these is mortised a perpen- 

 dicular piece of wood {napariussai, from napariaq, 235 and -ussaq, 

 458), with a notch at the top for the rifle-barrel. These two pieces 

 are again connected by a horizontal piece, round the ends of which 

 the lashing which holds the rifle-barrel to the sledge is secured. 



Fig. 30. Shooting screen for seal hunting on ice, mounted on a small sledge 

 and with a rifle attached, ready for use. 



For use on ice the screen itself {tâliitaq, 351) is 80 — 100 cm. in 

 width and 40 — 50 cm. in height. The top edge of this is sewn round 

 a cylindrical cross-beam {sanerutâ, 313), the ends of which project 

 slightly, and at the height of about 10 — 12 cm. from the lower edge 

 a similar cross-beam is attached by some stitches to the back of the 

 screen. That piece of the screen which hangs below the lower cross-beam 

 (iiniakalâ, Supl. 52) is weighted at its bottom edge by sewing some 

 shot into it. In the centre line of the screen is a vertical slit for the 

 barrel, large enough to allow one to take aim with the rifle. 



When the hunter goes out otok-hunting, the shooting sledge is 

 suspended from the cross-beam of the uprights of the dog sledge, while the 

 screen with its stretchers is rolled up and put into a skin casing, which is 

 fastened to one of the uprights. When he arrives on the hunting 

 ground, the rifle is lashed on to the shooting sledge, the lower cross- 



