312 



THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 



Eskimo. Mr. K. W. Nelson (in a letter to the writer) says that the 

 iiatives of Norton Sound informed him that the cable twisters (kaputa 

 klbu tuk at Norton Sound) were also used for making twisted cord. 

 He describes their use as follows : ; The ends of the sinew cord are tied 

 to the center holes in the two ivory pieces, one of the latter at each end 

 of the cord, and then they are twisted in opposite directions, thus get 

 ting the hard-laid sinew cord used on the bows.&quot; 



The sinew twine used af Point Barrow is generally braided, almost 



* 



Fin. 315. yetting nwHlle. 



always in a three-ply braid, usually about the size of stout packthread, 

 such as is found on many Eskimo implements from all localities repre 

 sented in the Museum collections. That they also know how to braid 

 with four strands is shown by the hair line already described (No. 56545 

 [410]). They also have a special word (which T can not recall) for braid 

 ing with four strands in distinction from braiding with three 

 (pidr4). 



Netting. Two implements are used as usual in netting, a 

 needle or long flat shuttle for carrying the twine (Fig. 315, 

 No. 56570 [101]), and a mesh stick for gauging the length of the 

 mesh. The knot is the universal &quot;fisherman s knot&quot; or becket 

 hitch made in the usual manner. The method of using the 

 mesh stick, however, is rather peculiar, and somewhat clumsy 

 compared with that used by civilized net-makers, as it serves 

 only to measure the mesh and not also to hold the successive 

 meshes as they are made. It is a long flat piece of bone or 

 antler, shaped like a case knife, with a blade square at heel 

 and point. There is often also a little blunt hook (as in Fig. 

 316, No. 56581 [1021]) at the point, bending upward or toward 

 the back of the blade. The blade is the part of the stick which 

 measures the mesh, and its length from heel to point is always 

 precisely half the length of the mesh to be made. It is used 

 as follows: The workman, holding the mesh stick by the han 

 dle in his left hand, with the blade downward, catches the 

 mesh into which the knot is to be made with the hook, and 

 holds it while the twine is carried down the left side of the Fjo 3ie _ 

 blade, round the heel and through the mesh as usual, and drawn Mesh stick - 

 tip till the preceding knot comes just to the point of the blade. This 

 makes a loop of the proper length for a mesh round the stick. The point 

 where the next knot is to be made is now caught between the thumb and 

 finger of the right hand and the mesh stick taken out of the loop. The 

 left thumb and finger, while the other fingers of this hand still hold the 



