MUKUOCH.J 



BLUBBER HOOKS, ETC. 



311 



The whole is old and weathered and rather greasy about the prong and 

 the tip of the pole. 



Fig. 312 (No. 8083(5 [1203] from Utkiavwln) is a similar hook with a 

 short handle, 34 inches long, for use on land. The crook is 

 made by bending the handle. The prong, of walrus ivory as 

 before, is 7 inches long, and held on by two stout lashings of 

 whalebone, which pass round the end of the handle instead of 

 through it. The prong and tip of the handle are very greasy. 



No. 89837 [1353], from the same village, is a similar hook 

 rather rudely made. The crook is bent only at an angle of 

 about 45, and there is somewhat of a twist to the whole han 

 dle. The prong, which is of antler, is 7J inches long and shoul- y 

 dered at the butt like that of the long hook described. It is 

 fastened on by two thick lashings of stout seal thong passing 

 around prong and handle and kept from slipping by notches 

 in tlrt* latter, and on the butt end of the former and by a large 

 flat-headed brass stud driven into the prong below the upper 

 lashing. 



Fish sealer. Fig. 313 (No. 89401 [1279] from Utkiavwlu) rep 

 resents a little implement which we never saw in use, but which 

 we were told was intended for scraping the scales oft a fish. 

 The specimen does not appear to be newly made. It is a piece 

 of hollow &quot;long&quot; bone, 8 inches long, cut into the shape of the 

 blade of a case knife, flat on one face with a broad, shallow, 

 longitudinal groove on the other. 



MAKING AND WORKING FIBER. 



Flo 

 *caier. 



Ticisting and braiding We had no opportunity of seeing the 

 process of twisting the sinew twine, which is sometimes used 

 in place of the braid so often mentioned but more generally when an 

 extra strong thread is desired, as in sewing on boot soles. Fig. 314 (No. 

 89431 [1332] from Utkiavwln) is a little shuttle of walrus ivory, 3 inches 

 long and 1 broad, which we were told was used in this 

 process. The body of this shuttle is reduced to a narrow 

 crosspiece, and the prongs at one end are twice as long as 

 those at the other. The tips of the long prongs are about ^ 

 inch apart, while those 1 of the short ones nearly meet. There 

 is a small round hole in one side of the body. This speci 

 men was made for sale. As well as I could understand the 

 seller, the ends of several strands of tine sinew were fas 

 tened into the hole in the shuttle and twisted by twisting 

 it with one hand, while the other end was held perhaps by 

 FIG 3u ivon the other hand. The part twisted was then wound on the 



shuttle. 



shuttle and a fresh length twisted. This would be a very 

 No special implements for twisting have been described among other 



simple form of spinning with a spindle. 



