GRAPHIC ART OF THE ESKIMOS. 769 



Mr. Dall remarks that the forms in general of the Eskimo are very 

 much alike throughout the entire area occupied by this people; but he 

 continues in another place, &quot; Similar drawings are common everywhere 

 among the lunuit, while I have never seen among the Tenneh tribes of 

 the northwest any similar specimens of art.&quot; l 



Since the time of Mr. Ball s researches in Alaska, however, vari 

 ous specimens of Thlinkit art designs have been received by the 

 National Museum. Several of these, consisting of neck ornaments, are 

 reproduced in plate 9, figs. 1 to 6, and bear purely Eskimo forms of 

 ornamentation obtained through the medium of intertribal traffic, to 

 which other reference is made in connection with trade routes or culture 

 routes. 



The ornamentation of utensils, articles of personal adornment, and of 

 weapons is limited among the Eskimo eastward of Alaska to lines and 

 dots in various combinations. Carvings occur also, small figures, both 

 flat and in imitation of the animals with which the artist is familiar. 

 The engraving upon ivory and bone for the purpose of recording hunt 

 ing, fishing, and other exploits and pursuits, appears to be entirely 

 absent in the east, being confined to the natives of Alaska, the Siberian 

 Eskimo the Yiiit and recently copied by other neighboring peoples. 



In the vicinity of Chamisso Island, a short distance above Cape 

 Prince of Wales, Captain Beechey 2 found various kinds of utensils, 

 weapons, and other manufactures of the natives, upon some of which 

 were engraved various objects, to which he refers as follows : 



On the outside of this and other instruments there were etched a variety of figures 

 of men, beasts, birds, etc., with a truth and character which showed the art to be 

 common among them. The reindeer were generally in herds. In one picture they 

 were pursued by a man in a stooping posture in snowshoes; in another he had 

 approached nearer to his game, and was in the act of drawing his bow. A third 

 represented the manner of taking seals with an inflated skin of the same animal as 

 a decoy; it was placed upon the ice, and not far from it was a man lying upon his 

 belly with a harpoon ready to strike the animal when it should make its appearance. 

 Another was dragging a seal home upon a small sledge; and several baidars were 

 employed harpooning whales which had been previously shot with arrows ; and thus, 

 by comparing one with another, a little history was obtained which gave us a better 

 insight into their habits than could be elicited from any signs or imitations. 



Mr. John Murdoch, 3 in quoting Mr. L. M. Turner that the natives of 

 Norton Sound keep a regular record of hunting and other events 

 engraved upon drill bows, remarks that &quot; we did not learn definitely 

 that such was the rule at Point Barrow, but we have one bag handle 

 marked with whales, which we were told indicated the number killed by 

 the owner.&quot; Several specimens are then referred to as having figures 

 incised upon them, colored both in red or in black, together with very 

 small illustrations of the bow, upon which the figures are so greatly 



1 Ninth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology for 1887-88, 1892, p. 238. 



2 Idem, p. 251. (Visit made in 1826.) 

 :i Idem, p. 177. 



NAT MUS 95 49 



