50 



THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT 



fETH. ANN. 18 



the labrets were invariably removed in order to prevent the lip from 

 freezing, as must have occurred had they remained in place. The 

 labrets were removed and carried in a small bag until we approached 

 a village at night, when they were taken out and replaced, that the 





Fig. 11 — Tattooing on women (a, South of Yukon moutli; b. East cape, Siberia; c,c. Head of 



Kotzebue sound). 



wearer might present a proper appearance before the people. They 

 are also sometimes removed when eating and before retiring for the 

 night. 



TATTOOINa 



Tattooing is universally practiced among the women of the Bering 

 strait region, but has attained its greatest development on the Siberian 

 coast and St Lawrence island. On the tundra south of the Yukon only 

 part of the women are tattooed, and I was informed that the practice 

 is comparatively recent among them. They claim to have adopted it 

 from the women of Nunivak island, who had straight lines on their 

 cheeks, and also from having seen tattooing on the faces of Tinn^ 

 women.' Tlie common pattern used in this district is a pair of lines 

 across the chin from each corner of the mouth, as shown in figure ll,a. 



Fig. 12— Tattooing on a St Lawrence island girl. 



Malemut women, as well as those from Noatak and Kowak rivers, 

 cross the chin with series of lines of tattooing radiating from the lower 

 lip, as shown in figure 11, 6, c; they also frequently have straight lines 

 across the back of the wrist and forearm. On St Lawrence island and 



