346 



THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT 



[ETH. ANN. 18 



which is wound a piece of spruce root to afford a firm grip. Another 

 deerhorn knife, from Big lake (figure 11, plate xciv), is very plainly 

 made, A well-made deerhorn knife from the lower Kuskokwim (figure 

 13, plate XCIV) has the handle pierced with a large hole from which a 



slit extends forward. 



Figure C, plate xciv, represents a 

 handsome ivory knife, obtained on 

 Togiak river by 'Mr App legate. 

 The handle is curiously slit, with a 

 cross-bar in the opening, and an or- 

 dinary conventional design is etched 

 on the surface. Another knife, obtained also by Mr Applegate at the 

 same place (figure 8, plate xciv), is of deerhorn and is elaborately 

 etched. The end of the handle is carved to represent the head of a 

 bird, probably a gerfalcon. A well-made ivory knife from !N^ulukhtulo- 

 gumut (figure 10, plate xciv) has the handle carved to represent the 



Fig. 133— Toy bear (J). 



Fig. 134— Toy kaiali from St Lawrence island (4). 



head of a salmon. A small and rather rudely made ivory knife from 

 Ikogmut (figure 12, plate xciv) also has the handle carved in the shape 

 of a salmon-head. 



A large number of these knives were collected, most of them- being 

 carved and etched in great variety of pattern. Many of these objects 

 in the National Museum repre- 

 sent localities from the extreme 

 southern limit of the Alaskan 

 Eskimo nearly to Point Barrow. 

 These knives are rarely used 

 for any other purpose than as 

 toys; the children play with 

 them in winter, cutting up the 

 hard, drifted snow, or marking 

 thereon various fantastic; fig- 

 ures representing mammals, birds, or other fancies. In a village south 

 of the Yukon mouth I saw children make figures of animals in the 

 snow and then run about cutting them up with their knives, evidently 

 imitating the killing of game by the hunters. 



Figure 131 represents a toy figure of a white bear, which was 

 obtained on the Diomede island. It is made of wood and has a raw- 



FlQ. '.35— Ivory image of man and bear (i). 



