ESKIMOS 179 
short distance below the knee, where they are quite open to pro- 
vide ventilation. They are secured to the body by a string in 
the waistband and have no openings. 
The winter boots are usually made of the skin from the legs 
of the deer, carefully matched and sewn, and the feet are made 
with the hair inside, so that a pair of low shoes may be worn 
over them when travelling on the sled. Deerskin socks are worn 
inside the boots; they are both long and short, and are worn 
with the hair inside. A pair of deerskin mitts, worn with the 
hair outside, complete the ordinary costume of a man, but 
sometimes, in very cold weather, a pair of dogskin shoes are 
slipped over the ordinary foot-gear when travelling on the sled, 
as the Eskimo is very careful that his extremities are kept 
warm and dry. 
A man's summer clothing of sealskin corresponds closely to 
his deerskin suit. All the garments, except the boots, are made 
from skins dressed with the hair on, and the hairy side is worn 
outside. The skins of the foetid seal are commonly used for this 
purpose, and it is only a very fortunate swell who has a suit 
from the skins of the harbour seal. The boots are made of skins 
from which the hair has been shaved off. For the tops, the skin 
of the foetid seal is used, the bottoms being made from the 
thicker skin of the big seal. 
The women's clothing consists of garments similar to those 
worn by the men, but they are cut differently. The coat, in the 
body, is much looser, and the hood is larger and more 
open, being prolonged into the back to form a receptacle for the 
baby, who is carried naked there, the weight being supported 
by two thongs sewn to the shoulders in front and which, 
crossing the breast are attached under the arms. Unlike the 
men's coats, those of the women have an apron, reaching nearly 
to the knee in front, and a longer tail behind. The inner coat 
is often ornamented with beads or fancy strips of skin, while 
the outer garment is decorated with strips and patches of white 
