378 THOMAS THOMSEN 



rudely fashioned, thick, and polished at the cutting edge only; it is 

 5*6 cm. long at the cutting edge and 6'9 cm. high. 



One bone bodkin (PI. XI, 16) resembles those shown in PL VII, 24, 

 in being ornamented with transverse grooves behind, a hole is pierced 

 from the rear end out to one side for suspension; it is 7*1 cm. long. 

 The object figured in PL XIII, 8, should possibly also be described as 

 a bodkin; it is 8'6 cm. long; rather rudely fashioned, and broken off 

 behind; at the fore end it is sharply pointed. 



The purpose of the small wooden board figured in PL XIII, 10, is 

 uncertain. It is 9'5 cm. long and 2*9 cm. broad; at the top it is 

 constricted, and terminates in a knob, so that it can be carried in a 

 hanging position. On both surfaces there are fine scratchings in va- 

 rious directions; on the one surface they occur especially in the 

 upper part, almost parallel with the oblique edge; on the other, 

 more irregularly and closest together near and along the lower 

 edge of the board. In the National Museum in Copenhagen 

 there are three specimens similar to this little board, all from a 

 grave near Eqaluit in Umanaq Fjord in West Greenland 1 . The 

 marks left show that they have been used for cutting upon; it is 

 possible that they are small cutting-boards for finer needlework. 

 Among the Eskimo at the Mackenzie River similar small boards 

 were used as palettes 2 . 



1 The same grave in which the bone bodkins, mentioned in footnote 3 on p. 366, 

 were found. All three specimens have the same constriction above, but they do 

 not terminate in a knob; the largest of them (13-6 X 3'7 cm.) is pierced for 

 suspension, the two others (10 X 2*5 and 9 X 2*4 cm.) are not adapted for sus- 

 pension, nor do they show any visible traces of having been used; on the other 

 hand, the largest of them has become hollowed by use in the middle of both 

 surfaces; scratches, nearly effaced, are seen in the hollows (Mus. No. L. c. 722). 



2 The museum in Copenhagen contains a specimen of this kind; it is attached 

 by a strap to two paint bags and a small spatula; on the board are seen the 

 same scratchings as on the Greenland specimens (Mus. No. P. c. 12, brought home 

 by MACFARLANE; received 1868 through the Smithsonian Institution). 



