20 TllK VOiyj ISAIiKUW ESKIMO. 



a rooiu where the work of stiidyins fl"' follection eould be carried on, 

 and allowed mv aceess to its lil)raries and to the extensive eollections 

 oltlie Xational Miiseiun for the [mrposes of comparison. The Director 

 of the Hureau of Kthnolofiv, -Maj. .f. W. Powell, kindly a.s-reed to furnish 

 the illiustrations for the work and to imhli.sh it as i>art of his annual 

 report, wliile the Chief Signal Otlicer. with the greatest consideration, 

 permitted me to remain in the emi)loy of his Bureau until the completion 

 of the work. 



Two years wei-e si)ent in a detailed analytical study of the articles in 

 the collection, until all the information that could be gathered from the 

 objects themselves and from the notesof the collectors had been recorded. 

 Careful compari.sons were luade with the arts and industries of the 

 Eskimo race as illustrated by the collections in the National Museum 

 and the writings of various e.xjjlorers, aud these frequently resulted iu 

 the elucidation of obscure ])oints in the history of the Point Barrow 

 Eskimo. In tiie form in which it is pn-scntcd this work contains, it is 

 believed, all that is known at the i.rcs<'nt day of tlie etlinograi)liy of 

 this interesting i pie. 



Much linguistic material was also collected, which 1 hojie some time 

 to be able to i>repare for publication. 



The observaticms are arranged according to the plan pioposed liy 

 Prof. Otis T. Mason in his "Ethnological Directions, etc.," soincwliat 

 modified to suit the circumstances. In writing Eskinn) words the alpha- 

 bet given in Powcirs ■• Introdintion to the Study of Indian Languages" 

 has been used, witii the addition i, for an obscure n (like the final a in 

 soda), ,»for a similar obscure r, and li for the sound of the German o or 

 French ck. 



I desire to express my gratitude to th<' late Prof. Siiencer F. Baird, 

 Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, to the late (ien. William B. 

 Hazeu, Chief Signal Officer of the Army, aud to Maj. J. \V. Powell, Di- 

 rector of the Bureau of Ethnology, for their kindness in enabling nie to 

 carry on these investigations. Grateful at'knowledgment is due for valu- 

 able assistance to various members of the scientific staff of the National 

 Museum, especially to the curator of ethnology. Prof. Otis T. Mason, 

 an<l to Mr. William II. Dall. Valuable suggestions were received from 

 iMr. Lucien M. Tuiner, Dr. Franz Boas, the late Dr. Eniil Bessels, and 

 Dr. II. Kink, of Christiania. 



LIST (IF WOKKS CON-StLTE]). 



The following list is m)t intended for a coni).Iete bibliography of what 

 has been written on the ethnography of the Eskimo, but it is believed 

 that it contains most of the imi)ortant works by authors who have 

 treated of these people from personal obsei'vation. Such of the le.ss im- 

 portant -works have been included as <'(>ntain any references bearing 

 upon the subject of the study. 



As it has licen my ol)iect to go, whenever iiossible, to the original 

 iiources of information, compilations, whether scientific or i)opular. have 



