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PROCEEDINGS OP THE NATIONAL. MUSEUM 



VOL. 73 



searched for a piece of dry wood, and having found it, cut it into shape, sharp- 

 ened both ends, and twisted it once around the bowstring; he then took a bit of 

 fungus from his pocket and put it into a little hole which he made in another 

 dry piece of wood with the point of the knife. A third piece of dry wood was 

 fashioned into a handle for his driU.^^ 



Eskimo in other localities often use such makeshifts. Cup cavities 

 are often observed in the handles of knives and other bone and ivory 

 tools where they have used them for heads of the fire drill. 



Cumberland Gulf is the next locality to the northward. There are 

 several specimens in the collection from this part of Bafl&n Land, 

 procured by the famous explorer, Capt. C. F. Hall, and the less 

 known, but equally indefatigable Kumlein. The fire-making imple- 

 ments from Cumberland Gulf have a markedly different appearance 

 from those of any other locality in the Eskimo area. They have a 

 crude look, and there is a paucity of ornamentation unusual among 

 this people. The di'ill bow is one of the things which the Eskimo 

 usually decorates, but these bows have not even a scratch. 



Fig. 2:; 



Buui.No SET. Cat. No. 34114, U.S.N.M. 

 Gulf. Collected bx L. Kumlein 



CUMBBKLAND 



It can be inferred that in Bafl&n Land more unfavorable condi- 

 tions prevail than in southern Alaska. It must be this cause, cou- 

 pled with poor food supply, that have conspired to make them the 

 most wretched of the Eskimo. 



The hearth (fig. 19) is of drift oak. It was collected at Frobisher 

 Bay by Captain Hall. It has central holes, and appears to be very 

 unfavorable wood for fire making. A skin bag of moss (fig. 20) is 

 for starting the fire. The block hearth is also from Frobisher Bay. 

 (Fig. 21.) It is an old piece of hemlock, with two central communi- 

 cating holes. The mouthpiece is a block of ivory. Another mouth- 

 piece is a bit of hardwood soaked in oil; it was used with a bone 

 drill having an iron point. A very small, rude bow goes with this 

 set. (Fig. 22.) 



»» Hind. Labrador, vol. 1, p. 149. 



