GRAPHIC ART OF THE ESKIMOS. 855 



which appear two persons seated playing on the tambourine drum, 

 while a third person is depicted in the graceful attitude of dancing 

 &quot;a la Ainericaine.&quot; The fourth figure is crouching or kneeling before 

 the hearth, probably to light a fire, as none appears to be there, as 

 indicated by the absence of smoke. The presence of fire is generally 

 indicated by the portrayal of short lines adhering to a vertical one, to 

 denote smoke. 



Upon the outside of the large room is a low structure containing the 

 second room. The face of the sun is painted upon the wall, in reference 

 to the return of the sun and warm w^eather to spring ; and the drops 

 of water, caused by the melting sun or ice upon the roof, are shown 

 dropping from a short wooden carved spout. The carving seems to 

 have been made in imitation of similar ones found among the T hlinkit 

 and Haida Indians. The above dance and portrayal of the sun refers 

 to highly important and complicated ceremonials observed at the return 

 of the sun from the south. 



The illustration reaching almost across the ivory space, that resem 

 bling light lines in imitation of a ladder, is a fish weir, placed in 

 streams for catching salmon, and one of these fish is actually shown 

 approaching the opening leading to the iuclosure in which the game is 

 secured. An otter is also drawn approaching the fish trap, denoting 

 the destructive habits of the mammal in robbing the trap of fish thus 

 secured and unable to escape. 



The rectangular figure immediately behind the otter appears to be a 

 view of the top of a boat landing, facing tire water, and upon which 

 are two persons, one seated near a handled vessel probably a bucket 

 or basket while the other is drawn in the attitude of spearing fish, 

 the entire sketch seeming to have reference to another method of secur 

 ing fish for food. 



Immediately across the ivory space, and along the opposite base line, 

 are observable four persons, each drumming upon his medicine drum 

 and approaching a dome-shaped habitation, within which are portrayed 

 two persons, crawling forward on hands and knees to receive from a 

 seated figure some mysterious or magic substance. This is a shaman- 

 istic ceremony, in which some charmed medicines are secured, and by 

 means of which some special success is expected in the chase. 



The character in the middle of the ivory rod, nearest to the dome- 

 shaped house, is a spout of water, at the narrow end of which is a trans 

 verse line, with a shorter one within the inclosure. These two lines 

 denote the logs of wood employed by the beaver in building a dam. 

 The beaver is shown swimming toward a dark spot, which seems to 

 consist of a series of short scratches, and which denotes the deposit of 

 twigs for food, while the rounded dark disk upon the shore line repre 

 sents the beaver s house. The animal is accurately portrayed, the tail 

 being especially conspicuous to give specific indication as to the species 

 of animal intended to be shown. 



In the next figure is represented one method of securing deer. The 



