130 THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 



the teeth along a line parallel to the folded edgcand at a distance 

 from it equal to the depth of the intended fold. Tis bitten line runs 

 from the edge of the leather as far as it is intended &amp;lt;&amp;gt; turn up the side 

 of the sole. A series of similar folds is carried ronn the toe to a point 

 on the other side of the sole opposite the starting uint. In the same 

 way a series of crimps is carried round the heel, les/ing an uncrimped 

 space of 2 or 3 inches on each side of the foot. Th&amp;lt;sole is then sewed 

 to a band or to the edge of the upper, with the thresl run through each 

 fold of the crimps. This gathers the sole in at te heel and toe and 

 brings the uucrimped part straight up on each side othe shank. \Vheu 

 the folds are all of the same length and but slightlyavthered the sole is 

 turned up nearly straight, as at the heel usually, ad at the toe also of 

 waterproof boots. When the folds are long and mull gathered the sole 

 slopes well in over the foot. Some boots, especially tose intended for full 

 dress, have the sole deeper on the sides than at the te, so that the top of 

 the sole comes to a point at the toe. The ordinary &amp;gt;attern is about the 

 same height all round and follows the shape of the fof, being rather more 

 gathered in over the toe than at the heel. The &quot;blak&quot; for the sole is cut 

 out by measuring the size of the foot on the leathered allowing by eye 

 the margin which is to be turned up. The criming is also done by 

 eye. Any irregularity in the length of the crimp can be remedied by 

 pressing out the crease. I have never seen at Poit Barrow the ivory 

 knives, such as are used at Norton Sound for arraging the crimps. 



Different kinds of leather are used for the soss, and each kind is 

 supposed to be best suited for a particular purose. The beautiful 

 white urine-tanned sealskin is used for winter war when the suow is 

 dry, but is not suited for standing the roughness, nd dampness of the 

 salt-water ice. For this purpose sealskin dressed nth the hair on and 

 worn nesh side out is said to be the very best, referable even to the 

 various waterproof skins used for summer boot &amp;gt;ies. For waterproof 

 soles are used oil-dressed skins of the walrus, bei ded seal, polar bear, 

 or, best of all, the white whale. This last makes a &amp;gt;eautifiil light yellow 

 translucent leather about ((! inch thick, which * quite durable and 

 keeps out water for a long time. It is highly pri/il and quite an article 

 of trade among the natives, a pair of soles usual commanding a good 

 price. These Eskimo appear to be the only oiie;-wlio have discovered 

 the excellence of this material for waterproof sols, as there is no men 

 tion to be found of its use elsewhere. The &quot;urwhal skin&quot; spoken of 

 by Dr. Simpson 2 is probably this material, as he alls it &quot; Kel-lel -lu-a,&quot; 

 which is the ordinary word for white whale at Pint Barrow. The nar 

 whal is very rare in these waters, while the white -hale is comparatively 

 abundant. Dr. Simpson appears not to have seeithe animal from which 

 the skin was obtained. It is, however, by no meas impossible that Home 

 skins of the narwhal, which when dressed woul be indistinguishable 



Probably prepared like the boat covers described by Grant/,, vol. p. 167, by drying them without 

 removing ull of their own blubber. 

 Op.cit., pp. 242-266. 



