432 Thirty Years 



the latter, as well as that on their head, being per- 

 mitted to grow long, though in some cases a circular 

 spot on the crown of the head was cut bare, like the 

 tonsure of the Roman catholic clergy. Every man 

 had pieces of bone or shells thrust through the sep- 

 tum of his nose ; and holes were pierced on each side 

 of the under lip, in which were placed circular pieces 

 of ivory, with a large blue bead in the centre, similar 

 to those represented in the drawings of the natives on 

 the N.W. coast of America, in Kotzebue's Voyage. 

 These ornaments were so much valued, that they de- 

 clined selling them ; and when not rich enough to pro- 

 cure beads or ivory, stones and pieces of bone were 

 substituted. These perforations are made at the age 

 of puberty ; and one of the party, who appeared to be 

 about fourteen years old, was pointed out, with de- 

 light, by his parents, as having to undergo the opera- 

 tion in the following year. He was a good-looking 

 boy, and we could not fancy his countenance would 

 be much improved by the insertion of the bones or 

 B tones, which have the effect of depressing the under 

 lip, and keeping the month open. 



Their dress consisted of a jacket of rein-deer skin, 

 with a skirt behind and before, and a small hood ; 

 breeches of the same material, and boots of seal-skin. 

 Their weapons for the chase were bows and arrows, 

 very neatly made ; the latter being headed with bone 



