322 THE POIXT HARROW ESKIMO. 



end of the strap is cut narrow, passed through the bead, and knotted on 

 theend. This case carries a half-dozen of the old-fashioned hone needles, 

 which appear to be genuine. It is 3-7 inches long and, roughly speak 

 ing, 0-4 in diameter. No. 89156!) [1U01], also from Utkiavwln, resembles 

 the above, but has a wolverine s toe sewed to the end of the strap. No. 

 80:571 [1270] , from Utkiavwln, also has the toe of a wolverine for a knob, 

 and has a belt hook with two tongues made of reindeer antler. No. 

 89300 [1137], from Utkiavwln, is a highly ornamented case of this 

 pattern, which has a short cylindrical knob, also ornamented. No. 

 89308 [1089], from Utkiavwlu, is not made of bird s bone, but is a piece 

 of a long bone from some mammal, and has a brown bear s toe for a 

 knob. No. 89307 [1339], from the same village, is roughly made of a 

 branch of antler, 3-9 inches long and 0-8 wide, hollowed out. It has a 

 knob of whale s bone, but no belt hook, the end of the strap being knotted 

 into a leather thimble of the first pattern. Of the six specimens of this 

 pattern in the collection only the first is a genuine old implement. All 

 the others are merely commercial imitations rather carelessly made. 



This kind of needle case is very commonly used throughout Alaska, 

 as is shown by the enormous collections in the National Museum brought 

 home by various explorers, Nelson, Turner, Dall and others. The needle 

 case from Iglulik, figured byOapt. Lyou, 1 resembles the second or older 

 pattern, being of bone, not tapered at the ends, and having neither knob 

 nor belt hook. To the ends of the strap are hung thimbles &quot;and other 

 small articles liable to be lost. &quot; 2 Dr. Simpson 3 speaks of the needle case 

 in use at Point Barrow, but merely describes it as &quot;a narrow strip of 

 skin in which the needles are stuck, with a tube of bone, ivory, or iron 

 to slide down over them, and kept from slipping oft the lower end by a 

 knob or large bead. This appears to refer only to the second or older 

 pattern. 



The old-fashioned ring thimbles were usually carried on the belt hook 

 of the, needlecase, but modern thimbles require a box. These boxes 

 (kigiuii e), which are usually small and cylindrical, also serve for holding 

 thread, beads, and all sorts of little trinkets or knickknacks, and many 

 of them are so old that they were evidently used for this purpose long 

 before the introduction of metal thimbles. Little tin canisters, spice 

 boxes, etc-., are also used for the same purpose nowadays. We brought 

 home thirteen of these boxes, of which No. 89407 [1158] Fig. 329 has been 

 chosen as the type. It is a piece of the beam of a stout antler, 4-3 inches 

 long, cut off square on the ends and hollowed out. Into the large end 

 is fitted a flat bottom of thin pine, fastened in by four little treenails of 

 wood. The cover is of the same material. It is held on by a string of 

 sinew braid about 11 inches long, which passes out through the lower 

 of the two little holes on one side of the box, being held by a knot at 



1 Tarry s Second Voyage. \&amp;gt;\. opposite p. 550. Fij:. 25. 

 &quot;Ibid.. ]i. .1:17. 

 Op. i-it. ]). LM5. 



