228 THE 'ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT [eth.ann. 18 



splices; holes are pierced tlirough the ends, or a shoulder is left across 

 the upper side to retain the lashings by which they are fastened. Fig- 

 ures 32 and 30, plate lxxviii, show examples of splices for. use on 

 umiaks, collected on Sledge island. 



A small deerhorn splice, from St Michael, intended for use on a kaiak, 

 is shown in figure 31, plate lxxviii. It is pointed oval in outline, and 

 has holes along the middle to receive the lashing. 



A longer splice, from Chalitmut (figure 30, plate lxxviii), is slightly 

 hollowed below and convex on the outer side; it has two holes along 

 the central line, which is grooved on the convex surface; the latter is 

 crossed by numerous incised lines to prevent the lashings from slipping. 



When paddling about among the broken ice in spring and autumn 

 there is danger of the skin covering of the kaiak being cut at the bow 

 by floating pieces of ice; to lessen this risk protectors are made from 

 deerhorn and bound on the bow at the water line. 



Figure 27, plate lxxviii, represents one of these protectors from 

 Pikmiktalik; it is 7^ inches long, and is excavated within so as to form 

 a hollow shoulder. One end terminates in a hollow, spoon-shape 

 point, which rests against the bow above the water line. The lower 

 end has a bar of the material left across it, which rests against the 

 bow below the water line, thus permitting the curve to enter the hollow 

 but not to rest against the interior of the protector. Holes along the 

 sides and three notches across the outer surface serve for the lashing 

 by which it is attached to the bow of the boat. The sides are orna- 

 mented with a conventional pattern of etched lines. 



A similar bow i)rotector from Cape ]S^ome (figure 28, plate lxxviii) 

 is made of deerhorn; it has holes along the sides for attaching it to the 

 boat. This protector is not ornamented. 



The cross-cords for kaiaks are generally i)lain rawhide lines, but 

 sometimes they are ornamented with beads carved from walrus ivory 

 and strung on them. The commonest form of these represents an 

 inflated sealskin float, generally alternated with round or elongated 

 beads of ivory, and ornamented with etched patterns or having the 

 surfaces of the beads pierced with round holes, in which are inserted 

 small, black w^ooden pegs. 



Figure 1, j)late lxxviii, represents one of these cords from King 

 island. The ornaments strung along it are held in place by wooden 

 wedges, inserted in the holes through which the cord passes. Examples 

 of similar cords were collected at points from Bristol bay to beyond 

 Kotzebue sound. 



TRADE AND TRADING VOYAGES 



According to traditions of the Unalit, the people on the coast of 

 Bering strait, in ancient times, made regular summer trading voyages 

 back and forth across the strait. Old men told me of having seen small 

 pieces of cloth which had been brought by the people of East cape, 



