MURDOCH. 1 



GAMES FESTIVALS. 



3(55 



roughly carved, with flat bellies. The largest of these is 1-3 inches 

 long and the smallest 0-8 inch. These were purchased at 1 Mover Bay, 

 eastern Siberia, during our brief visit in August, 1881, and were sup- 



Fw. 3r4.-G.aiue of fox and p-eso. from Plover liay. 



posed to be merely works of art. I was, however, very much interested 

 on my return to Washington to find that Dr. Fran/ Boas had brought 

 from Cumberland Gulf a. number of precisely similar images, which arc 

 there used for playing a game of the nature of &quot;jackstones.&quot; The player 

 tosses up a handful of these images, and 

 scores points for the number that sit up 

 right when they fall. 1 It is therefore quite 

 likely that they are used for a similar pur 

 pose at Plover Bay. If this be so, it is a re 

 markable point of similarity between these 

 widely separated Eskimo, for I can learn 

 nothing of a similar custom at any interme 

 diate point. 



FcKtiral*. The most important festivals 

 are apparently semireligious in character and 

 partake strongly of the nature, of dramatic 

 representations. At these festivals they 

 make use of many articles of dress and 

 adornment, not worn on other occasions, 

 and even some &quot;properties&quot; and mechani 

 cal contrivances to add to the dramatic 

 effect. All festivals are accompanied by 

 singing, drumming, and dancing. 



At the formal festivals, in the early winter, 

 the performers tire dressed in new deerskin 

 clothing, with the snow-white flesh side 

 outward, and in certain parts of the perform- FIG. sas. Dancing cap. 



ance wear on their heads tall conical caps covered with rows of 

 mountain sheep teeth which rattle as the wearer dances. 



We brought home one of these dancing caps (ka bru, kiiluka ) 

 (No. 89820 [8&amp;lt;!3] Fig. . 505), made of deerskin with the hair inward and 



1 This gitint; in briefly referred to by Hall, Arctic; Research*^, i&amp;gt;. 570. 



