13 



is common to all of them. Southern Alaska only may perhaps 

 show some exceptions to the general fashion, as far as can be 

 inferred from portraits and specimens of coats. Some of the 

 latter resemble those of the Indians, partly by their length, 

 partly by their want of a hood, while at the same time a peculiar 

 sort of hat is in vogue. 



Another peculiarity is the WIDENING OF THE HEAD COVER for 

 women who have to carry children so as to make it A CRADLE 

 admirably adapted to the climate and the wandering life of these 

 Northern nomads. The mode of carrying the babies in the 

 widened legs of the women's boots seems to be only an excep- 

 tion proper to Labrador and some places in the Central Regions. 



Some customs connected with dress have a particular ethno- 

 logical interest. In the first place the LIP ORNAMENTS OR LABRETS 

 and the nose ornaments common to the Indians and the Eskimo 

 of Alaska are obviously of American origin. That they were 

 invented in more southerly regions and that their wandering to 

 the far North only is due to the power of inherited custom is 

 indicated also by their way of occurrence among the Eskimo 

 tribes. The Thlinkit Indians, as we know, pierce the lower 

 lip and insert an ornament of bone or stone in the opening, 

 the ceremony being practised after certain rules concerning age 

 and sex. This custom is observed by the Eskimo with the 

 difference, that they use two smaller labrets under the corners 

 of the mouth, whereas the Thlinkits preferred to adorn the 

 middle of the lip with one of more excessive magnitude. Un- 

 doubtedly this difference is occasioned by climatic influence. The 

 original Eskimo in being removed to the Arctic Regions have 

 felt the necessity of at all events modifying this strange habit. 

 In mentioning a labret of extraordinary size found in the shell- 

 heaps of the Aleutian Islands, Dall asserts that no hunter ex- 

 posed to the icy blasts and the cold waters of winter could 

 have worn such articles which could have subjected the extended 

 strip of flesh to freezing and been an insufferable annoyance 



