Told of the Red Indian Whalers 29 



While the Eskimos have always been on friendly 

 terms with the white whalers (too friendly for 

 their own good), they have never been employed 

 to any considerable extent in the crews of the 

 Arctic whale ships. Their principal connection 

 with these whalers has been in the exchanging of 

 whalebone for the weapons used by white men, 

 and for other less useful products of civilized 

 countries. 



The work of the modern Eskimo whaler, as 

 described by John Murdock, a scientist in gov- 

 ernment employ who spent a winter at Point 

 Barrow to study their habits, is extremely inter- 

 esting. The whales in working their way to the 

 breeding grounds at the north of the continent 

 pass Point Barrow in the months of May and 

 June. Accordingly, the Eskimos begin their prep- 

 arations for whaling in April. First of all the 

 umiaks (whale boats), which are stored away 

 during the winter, are brought out. The frames 

 are carefully cleaned, the lashings are all renewed, 

 and the skins that cover the frames are soaked, 

 repaired, and stretched into place. The weapons 

 of all kinds are also carefully cleaned. This 



