774 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 



The animal which furnishes this material is represented in Plate 11, 

 the specimen technically known as Rosmarus obesus, Illiger, being most 

 abundant in Bristol Bay. 



The walrus tusks are capable of softening and bending, according to 

 J Captain Herendeeu, a gentleman of considerable experience in the 

 region under discussion. The tusks are divided longitudinally, one 

 tusk usually furnishing four rods, either by sawing or scraping and split 

 ting. The process described below by Mr. Lucian M. Turner, as pur 

 sued in former times and with primitive tools, is still practically the 

 same, though accomplished with modern tools purchased at the traders 

 or obtained from whalers. 



During his protracted residence in southern Alaska, Mr. Turner 

 studied carefully the customs of the Eskimo, and for special instruction 

 in some of the arts the natives worked in his presence, thus affording 

 every opportunity desired. 



In response to my inquiry regarding the primitive methods of pre 

 paring the ivory drill bows, and their subsequent engraving with 

 pictographs, the following communication was kindly sent to me by 

 Mr. Turner. 1 He says: 



The abundance of walrus ivory in the days prior to the advent of Americans (the 

 Russians did not encourage the use of firearms by the natives and stringently pro 

 hibited the sale of such weapons except in greatly favored instances) permitted the 

 Innuit to secure the best character of ivory when wanted ; hence the selection of a 

 tusk depended entirely upon the want or use to which it was to be applied. Later 

 \ the best tusks were sold and the inferior qualities retained, as is well shown by the 

 * comparison of the older and the more recent implements created from that material. 



The tusk selected was rudely scratched with a fragment of quartz, or other sili 

 ceous stone, along the length of the tusk until the sharp edge would no longer deepen 

 the groove; the other three sides were scratched or channeled until the pieces of 

 tusk could be separated. Sometimes this was done by pressure of the hand, or 

 effected by means of a knifeblade-shaped piece of wood, on which was struck a sharp 

 blow, and so skillfully dealt as not to shatter or fracture the piece intended for use. 

 The other side, or slabs, were removed in a similar manner. 



The piece intended for drill bow or other use was now scraped (rubbed) with a 

 fragment of freshly broken basalt, in which the cavities formed additional cutting 

 edges and aided in the collection of the bone dust. When this was explained to me, 

 I suggested the use of water, but the native (Innuit) smiled and continued his 

 work. I soon saw he knew better than I how to reduce the size of a strip of walrus 

 ivory. This attrition of the surface was continued until the approximate size was 

 reached. The holes or perforations in the ends were produced by means of stone 

 drills after a depression had been made by an angular piece of stone, any stone 

 capable of wearing away the ivory substance. A few grains of sand were put into 

 the shallow cavity and the stone drill started by means of another drill or by a 

 string or thong similar to the manner in making fire. 



Various sizes of stone drills were made, and by their use the different holes were 

 produced. It is unusual to find two perforations of the same diameter in any object. 

 These stone drills were used in making the long holes in ivory objects of all kinds. 



The final smoothing of the surface of the ivory piece was effected by rubbing it 

 against a fine-grained stone or in the hand where fine sand was held; lastly, two 

 pieces of ivory were rubbed against each other and thus a polished surface produced. 



Letter dated December 20, 1894. 



