156 THE ESKIMO AHOUT BERING STRAIT [ETH.ANK.IS 



elsewhere iu Alaska. These bows arc of the kind generally iu use, but 

 some are made without backing. At St Michael, aud thence to the 

 northward, bows without sinew backing were common, but the majority 

 of all bows in this region have a backing of some kind. 



A large number of bows were collected which vary considerably in 

 form and style of backing. 



Figure 1, plate LX, illustrates a bow from Askinuk, narrowed and 

 thickened in the middle, where it is grasped by the hand; thence it 

 broadens in each direction for a short distance and then narrows 

 toward the tips, where it is notched for the reception of the string. 



Figure 4, plate LX, from Nunivak island, is a bow with a heavy 

 sinew cable along the back, with three sets of cross-lashings to hold it 

 in position; the string is of twisted sinew. 



Figure 2, plate LX, from the lower Yukon, is backed with a single 

 heavy cable of sinew, with two cross-lashings near the ends and one in 

 th&quot; middle. 



Figure 6, plate LX, is a bow from Askiuuk, made with a single cable 

 as backing, which is held in position by fine cross lashings; to force up 

 and .tighten this backing two small wooden blocks, each notched on its 

 upper side, are inserted on one side of the middle. 



Figure o, plate LX, is a broad, heavy bow from Tununuk, with a sin 

 gle cable along the back and a continuous lashing to hold it in position 

 along the inner two-thirds of its length. The string is of sinew, with a 

 wrapping of spruce root on the middle to afford a good hold for the 

 fingers. 



Figure 7, plate LX, from Nunivak island, has a single cable along the 

 back, which is held in position by a continuous cross-lashing along 

 the middle third and one near each end ; inserted under the cable in 

 the center of the bow is a long strip of ivory, flattened below and 

 grooved above, to receive the cable, which is intended as a strength- 

 ener and to give elasticity. 



Figure 3, plate LX, from Unalaklit, has two flattened cables of sinew 

 along the back, with a thin layer of skin beneath them. They are held 

 in position by a continuous cross-lashing of sinew, which extends along 

 the entire length from within about six inches of the ends. 



Figure 8, plate LX, from Pastolik, has a single light cable along the 

 back, with a cross-lashing extending about one-third of the length each 

 way from the middle. This bow has a double curve about one-fourth 

 of the length inward from each end; along the back, in this curve, is 

 laid a piece of deerhorn, which is flat on the lower side for resting 

 upon the bow and grooved above to receive the cable. 



Figure 10, plate LX, represents a heavy bow obtained by Captain 

 Hooper on St Lawrence island. It has a double curve about eight 

 inches from each end and is backed with a series of braided sinew 

 cords, the ends of which are wound around the bow and form cross- 

 lashings for about eight inches from each end. 



Figure 11, plate LX, is a bow from Cape A T ancouver, with a double 



