FOR ARCTIC EXPLORERS. 287 



in Greenland? Drawings and collections of these, and any other 



similar marks, with the exact meaning of each mark, would be 

 desirable. 



Enqueues Relating to Drawing, Carving, and Ornamentation. 



By Col. A. Lane Fox. 



Have the natives a natural aptitude for drawing? do they draw 

 living animals in preference to other forms? are the heads of men 

 and animals usually represented larger in proportion than the other 

 parts of the body ? Have they the least knowledge of perspective ? 

 Are the most distant objects drawn smaller than those nearer? are 

 the more important personages or objects drawn larger than the 

 others ? Do their drawings represent imaginary animals or animals 

 now extinct ? Do they show any tendency to represent irregular 

 objects, such as branching trees symmetrically so as to produce a 

 conventional pattern? Are the drawings generally historical, or 

 merely drawn for amusement or for ornament ? Are events of dif- 

 ferent periods depicted in the same drawing ? Have they any conven- 

 tional modes of representing certain objects? Do they draw from 

 nature or copy each other's drawings ? Do they in copying from 

 one another vary the forms through negligence, inability, or to save 

 trouble, so as to lose sight of the original object and produce conven- 

 tional forms, the nature of which is otherwise inexplicable? if so, it 

 would be of great interest to obtain several series of such drawings, 

 showing the gradual departure from the originals. Do they readily 

 understand and appreciate European drawings ? do they show any 

 aptitude in copying European drawings? Do they draw with 

 coloured earths besides the drawings engraved on bone ? With what 

 tools are these engravings made? Have they special artists who 

 draw for the whole tribe or does each man ornament his own pro- 

 perty ? Do any of the natives show special talent for drawing, if 

 so, in what direction does such talent show itself? Is drawing more 

 practised in some tribes than others, and if so, does this arise from 

 inclination or from traditional custom? Do they draw plans or 

 maps? Do they understand European maps? At what age do the 

 children commence drawing? are they encouraged to draw at an 

 early age (a series of drawings of natives of different ages, from five 

 or six upwards, would be interesting as a means of comparison with 

 the development of artistic skill in Europeans)? Do they ornament 

 with geometrical patterns, such as zigzags, concentric circles, con- 

 tiguous circles, coils, spirals, punch-marks, lozenge patterns, herring- 

 bone patterns, &c. ? Do they use the continuous looped-coil pattern 

 in ornamentation ? Are such geometrical pat terns in any case copies 

 of mechanical contrivances, such a»s the binding of an arrow head, 



