110 REPORT ON THE INTRODUCTION OF 



women is in the artiger and pants. In the former those worn by the 

 women have a slit cut on both sides from the bottom to the hips, while 

 those worn by the men are the same length all around. The pants 

 worn by the women have the foot gear sewed to them, while those worn 

 by the men are either cut off at the ankle or knee. When a woman is 

 bundled up in cold weather and the hood of her artiger is drawn closely 

 around her face, the only way she can be distinguished is by the shape 

 of her artiger. 



An article of clothing that is indispensable among the Eskimo is the 

 " kar pee tuk " or skin coat. It is made from the entrails of the seal 

 or walrus, strips about 3 inches wide being sewed together and made 

 so as to slip over the head like an artiger. It is identical in shape and 

 made the same as the " kamalika " worn by the natives along the south- 

 ern coast of the Territory. If carefully sewed, it is water-tight, and 

 will weigh but a few ounces. It is rather a neat and tasteful looking 

 garment when dry, and rustles like silk, but when wet has a slick or 

 slimy appearance strongly suggestive of the part of the animal from 

 which it Avas made. 



Pants and drawers worn by the whites are much sought after by the 

 Eskimo, and are worn over their skin pants for the purpose of protect- 

 ing them from the snow, which always clings to the fur, getting down 

 among the roots, thus wetting the skin, which becomes hard and soon 

 rots. For the same reason calico and drilling are much worn by them 

 to protect their ar tigers. 



A mark which serves as a good means of determining the sexes is 

 that worn by the females, which consists of three or five lines about an 

 eighth of an inch wide on the chin, which resembles tattooing made with 

 India ink. Instead of pricking it in, a sharp instrument is drawn over 

 the skin until blood comes, and wood ashes are then rubbed in. This 

 practice is almost universal, and is usually put on when a girl reaches 

 about the age of 8 years. 



Among the men the practice of wearing labrets is common, though 

 not so universally adopted as tattooing among the women. The most 

 popular style is about a half-inch in diameter, but sometimes they reach 

 the enormous size of an inch and a half. They are usually made of 

 highly polished ivory with a colored bead in the center, and are occa- 

 sionally worn on both sides of the chin. Glass stoppers are much sought 

 after for this purpose, but not much worn on account of being difficult 

 to obtain. 



The tattooing by the women and wearing of labrets by the men have 

 no significance other than being considered an adornment for the face. 



Some of the women have the middle latch of the nose pierced, from 

 which beads are suspended, but they are considered troublesome and 

 are rapidly going out of style. 



The favorite manner of having the ears pierced by the women is just 

 above the end, from which two or three strings of beads are suspended, 



