NELSON] BOATS, OARS, AND SAILS 217 



were seen in use at Cape Prince of Wales on Bering strait, and at 

 points northward and southward from that locality. 



The oars are held in place usually by means of a rawhide lashing 

 made fast, on the inside of the boat, to the framework. The steering 

 is always done with a large, broad-blade paddle. 



In an(!ient times sails sometimes were improvised by sewing together 

 grass mats and putting them up between two long sticks, which were 

 fastened to the framework of the umiak and stayed by means of cords 

 so as to extend upward and outward in V-shape form, one from each 

 side of the boat. Later, after the arrival of white men, a single upright 

 mast with stays and with blocks made from bonepr ivory, were adopted 

 in imitation of the rigging used on the ships of the strangers. 



Sails were next made from the skins of reindeer or other animals, 

 sewed to a proper size and shape and fastened to a yard, which was 

 raised or lowered by tackle made of walrus-hide cord passed through 

 an ivory or bone block or through a hole in the upper end of the mast. 

 Some sails are still made of old deerskins or light sealskins sewed 

 together, but many are seen of light canvas or drilling obtained from 

 vessels or through fnr traders. 



The framework of these boats is formed of neatly shaped pieces cut 

 from driftwood and lashed together with rawhide cords, which are 

 passed through holes drilled in the wood, as shown iii the model, from 

 St Michael, illustrated in plate Lxxvii, -38. The covering is of heavy 

 sealskin or walrus-hide, tanned to remove the hair, sewed into proper 

 shape, and drawn over the framework. In the edges many little slits 

 are cut, through which is passed the cord which lashes it to the ij*ame- 

 work on the inside under the rail. After it is in place the lashings are 

 drawn tightly and permitted to dry; as it contracts the cover becomes 

 as tight as a drumhead, after which several coats of seal 6il , are 

 applied to the outside and allowed to become thoroughly dry,, when 

 the cover becomes impervious to water for a w^eek or ten days, at the 

 expiration of which time it becomes water-soaked and it is then neces- 

 sary to haul up the boat on the shore apd, after allowing it to dry, to 

 give it another coating of oil, otherwise the skins would rot. Travel- 

 ing is done by day, and at night the boats are hauled up on the beach 

 and turned bottom up or upon one edge, so that they may dry during 

 the night. When treated carefully in the manner described, the cover 

 of an umiak will last for several years. 



In comparison with the Norton sound umiaks, I noticed that the 

 boats used by the people of Bering strait have somewhat less sheer to 

 the sides and are provided with flaps of sealskin about two feet wide, 

 which are attached along the rail and folded down inside the boat in 

 fair weather; in .rough weather these flaps are raised and held in place 

 by stout sticks lashed to the framework around the sides and their 

 ends thrust into a series of holes or slots along the upper edge of the 

 flap. In addition to these, the people of Bering strait carry sealskin 



