MUKDOOI.] UMIAKS. 343 



of the present day. The latter are evidently only copies of the jaw 

 bone eroteh in a material susceptible of a higher finish than the coarse 

 bone. The only reason for making them in two pieces is that it is im 

 possible to get a single piece of walrus ivory large enough for a whole 

 one. It seems to me highly probable that the crotch was suggested by 

 the natural shape of the walrus jaw, since these are frequently used for 

 crotches to receive the cross pieces of the cache frames. Perhaps, for 

 a while, the whole jaw was simply lashed to the bow of the boat. The 

 next step would obviously be to cut out the shank and reduce the weight 

 of the crotch by trimming off the superfluous material. The reason for 

 making the crotch of ivory is perhaps purely esthetic; but more likely 

 connected with the notions already referred to which lead them to clean 

 up their boats and gear and adorn themselves and paint their faces 

 when they go to the whale fishery. 



Although, as I have already stated, there appears to be no essential 

 difference in the general plan of the frame of the Greenland umiaks 

 and those used at Point Barrow, there seems to be considerable differ 

 ence in the size and outward appearance. As well as can bo judged 

 from the brief descriptions and rude figures of various authors and 

 various models in the National Museum (the correctness of which, how. 

 ever, I can not be sure of, without having seen the originals) the umiak 

 not only in Greenland, but among the Eskimo generally as far west as 

 the Mackenzie, is a much more wall sided square ended boat than at 

 Point Barrow, having less sheer to the gunwales with the stem and 

 stern-post nearly vertical. 2 Mr. L. M. Turner informs me that this is the 

 case at T^ngava Bay. It was also a larger boat. Egede says that they &quot; are 

 large and opeii * * * some of them 20 yards long; &quot; Orantz gives their 

 length as &quot;commonly (5, nay 8 or 9 fathoms long;&quot; 4 Kumlien says that 

 it required &quot;about fifteen skins of Phoca barbata to cover an umiak 

 at Cumberland Gulf, 5 and Mr. Turner informs me that eight are used 

 at Ungava. Capt. Parry found no umiaks at Fury and Hecla straits 6 

 and Kumlien saysthatthey are becoming rare at Cumberland Gulf. The 

 so-called Arctic Highlanders of Smith Sound have no boats of any kind. 

 The model used at Point Barrow probably prevails as far south as 

 Kot/ebue Sound. The boats that boarded us off Wainwright Inlet in 

 the autumn of 1883, and those of the Xutiatafimiun who visited Point 

 Barrow, seemed not to differ from those with which we were familiar, 

 except that the latter were rather light and low sided, nor do I remember 

 anything peculiar about the boats which we saw at Plover Bay in 

 1881. 



1 Compart- lor instance Kane s figure 1st (Jriimell Exp. p. 422, and Lyon, Journal, p. 30. 



See Beeehey Voyage, p. 252. In describing the umiaks at Hotharn Inlet he says: &quot; The model differs 

 from that of the umiak of the Hudson Bay i&quot; being sharp ;tt both ends.&quot; Smyth gives a good figure 

 of the Hot ham Inlet craft in the plate opposite p. 250. 



Greenland, p. 111. 



* Vol. 1. p. 148. 



* Contributions, p. 4:f. Boas, however, says three to live akins. (Central E. kitno. p. 528.) 

 S 2d Voy.,p. 507 



