THE ESKIMOS. 129 



thing like a beaver's tail, just reaching to the ground 

 behind. The back of the over-skirt is made very full, 

 so as to form a sort of bag, in which the mothers carry 

 their children. Like a man's jacket, it is provided 

 with a hood, but of much larger size, so as to afford 

 shelter for both mother and child. The women are very 

 fond of decorating their dresses with beads or other 

 ornaments, and all their garments are made with great 

 neatness. 



Like many other savage people, the Eskimos, and 

 especially the women, tattoo extensively. They do not 

 all thus adorn themselves, but many of them have their 

 faces, necks, arms or hands all figured over in such a 

 way as to give them a wild and savage appearance. 



Many of the ladies, when in full dress, wear head- 

 bands, usually made of polished brass or iron, over their 

 foreheads. These are held in position by being tied 

 with a cord behind the head. 



A stranger custom still is that of wearing stones in 

 the cheeks, upon each side of the mouth. This practice 

 is not universal with the Eskimos, but, as far as my 

 knowledge extends, it is limited to those inhabiting the 

 Mackenzie River district. The natives of this region 

 have the reputation of being a bad lot, and it is said 

 that when they are heard to rattle their cheek- stones 

 against their, teeth it is time to be on the look-out. The 

 stones are cut in the shape of large shirt-studs, and are 

 let through the cheeks by cutting holes for them. 



As to the origin of the Eskimo people, very little is 

 known, but the most probable theory accounting for their 

 existence on this continent is that they were originally 

 Mongolians, and at some very early date crossed over the 



