ESKIMOS 179 



short distance below the knee, where they are quite open to pro- 

 vide ventilation. They are secured to the body by a string in 

 the waistband and have no openings. 



The winter boots are usually made of the skin from the legs 

 of the deer, carefully matched and sewn, and the feet are made 

 with the hair inside, so that a pair of low shoes may be worn 

 over them when travelling on the sled. Deerskin socks are worn 

 inside the boots; they are both long and short, and are worn 

 with the hair inside. A pair of deerskin mitts, worn with the 

 hair outside, complete the ordinary costume of a man, but 

 sometimes, in very cold weather, a pair of dogskin shoes are 

 slipped over the ordinary foot-gear when travelling on the sled, 

 as the Eskimo is very careful that his extremities are kept 

 warm and dry. 



A man's summer clothing of sealskin corresponds closely to 

 his deerskin suit. All the garments, except the boots, are made 

 from skins dressed with the hair on, and the hairy side is worn 

 outside. The skins of the foatid seal are commonly used for this 

 purpose, and it is only a very fortunate swell who has a suit 

 from the skins of the harbour seal. The boots are made of skins 

 from which the hair has been shaved off. For the tops, the skin 

 of the foetid seal is used, the bottoms being made from the 

 thicker skin of the big seal. 



The women's clothing consists of garments similar to those 

 worn by the men, but they are cut differently. The coat, in the 

 body, is much looser, and the hood is larger and more 

 open, being prolonged into the back to form a receptacle for the 

 baby, who is carried naked there, the weight being supported 

 by two thongs sewn to the shoulders in front and which, 

 crossing the breast are attached under the arms. Unlike the 

 men's coats, those of the women have an apron, reaching nearly 

 to the knee in front, and a longer tail behind. The inner coat 

 is often ornamented with beads or fancy strips of skin, while 

 the outer garment is decorated with strips and patches of white 



