GRAPHIC ART OF THE ESKIMOS. 851 



either seated or moving about as indicated. Upon the roof is a votive 

 offering, a bird-shaped &quot;shainau stick,&quot; the import of which is else 

 where described in detail. Still more of the family are seen at the 

 entrance to the house, one person within, while two are upon the roof. 

 In the storehouse, or rather beneath the goods, No. 5, is visible a dog 

 fight, the animals being drawn in the attitude of springing at one 

 another; at the right is the owner occupied 

 in removing some article from the scaffold. 



In the habitation No. 6, with its entrance 

 No. 7, are a number of persons in various atti- 



SLEDGE. 



tudes. One is reclining upon the elevated 



shelf used for both seat and bed; while upon the floor are three seated 

 at a table, those behind it being represented or partly hidden, the upper 

 parts of their bodies only rising above the board. A number of other 

 individuals are shown occupied in other ways. The scaffold at No. 8 

 supporting the goods, as usually represented, has also a horizontal pole 

 for drying meat, several pieces thereof being designated, while two 

 persons beneath seem to be touching hands or handing some article. 



The habitation No. 0, and its entrance No. 10, also indicates a num 

 ber of the inmates. One in particular is making gestures to another; 

 between the two there is an object resembling a person as if wrapped 

 in a blanket. Smoke is seen issuing from the smoke hole, while above 

 it is what may be here intended the evil spirit of a dead person return 

 ing to take possession of a sick one. 



The Eskimo generally believe in the return of the soul of the dead, 

 and especially does the disembodied spirit hover around the house of 

 the dead for three days, in the endeavor to return and to possess itself 

 of a living body. In the purpose of guarding against this evil, the 

 inmates make certain shamanistic preparations, prompted by the local 

 shaman. The smoke issuing from the mouth of the smoke hole leaves 

 open the way for the return of the evil spirit and his companion spirit, 

 seen approaching from above the house. 



No. 11 represents a scaffold for the storage of food, and a man is 

 seen in the act of reaching toward the black spot denoting reindeer or 



venison house, as the shape indicates. 

 No. 12 is another interesting in 

 terior, one native being seated upon 

 ~~^~7&quot;(r7 the ledge while a vessel is seen near 

 SLEDGE his feet. Another man is reaching 



toward something near the ceiling, 



while the rest of the occupants of the room are seated, one of them 

 reaching up toward the standing figure as in the act of asking for, or 

 supplication. Smoke is issuing from the smoke hole, while some one is 

 occupied near the fire beneath it. A ladder is placed against the out 

 side of the entrance to the house, and a man is seen part way up near 

 another person who seems to be occupied in gesture and conversation. 



