3U-RL.X-1I.] ('ROOKED K\l\Ks. 1,",7 



Simpson (up. fit..]'. -'<i'i) ;is bn.ughr loisalc l.y the N mMiMiiniiini. wh,, 

 obtained tlicni from tli.' Sil.i-iian natives, ai'd wiiicli hr bdicws [„ [»■ 

 cairicd as far as rhi' stiaitof I'niy and II. ■da. it wonid be nitiavslin- 

 to decide whether the stone Imntin,;; kni\-es were an original ideaofllie 

 Eskimo, or whether flie.\- were eoiiies, in stone, of tlie fust tew iron 

 knives obtained from Silx-ria: Imt more material is nceiled helore ihe 

 matter ean be cleared up. 



The natives of Point Barrow in ordinary eonversation. call all knives 

 savik, which also means iraii, and is identieails the same as the word 

 used in (ireeulaud for the same olijeets. If, then, there was a time, as 

 these people say, when their ancestors were totally ij;iiorant <if the use 

 of iron— and the lar.n«' number of stone imidements still found amou.i;- 

 them is strongly coi-roborati\-e of this — the use of this nann^ indicates 

 that the first iron was olitained from the east, a Ion i; with tin- soap- 

 stone lamps, instead of from Siberia. Had it first com.' from Siberia, as 

 tobacco did, we should exiiect t.. ttnd il. lik.- the latt.-i-, .'alLMl by a 

 liussiaii or Siberian ininie. 



Lik.' all the Eskimo of North America fr.nn ('ajM- I'.ailiurst westward^ 

 the natives of Point Barn.w use for fine whittlin.i; an.lcarvni- on woo.l! 

 ivory, bone, etc., "erook.'d kni\-.'s." consist in.';- of a small l)lade, s.'t on 



the und.M- .side of the end ..fa h.n.u .airv.'.l halt, so that th li;.", wlii.'h 



is b.'vele.l only on the upjM'r la.c. pr.i.i.'.'ts ab.mt as inucii as that ..fa 

 sp..k.'sliav.'. Th.' .-uiv.' of bla.l.' an.l halt is su.-li that when tli.' un.ler 

 surfa.'cof th.' bla.l.' r.'sis a-ainst th.' siirfi..' t.. b.- .'iit tli.' end ..ftlie 

 lialt points up at an aii-le ..f ab.mi t.'i . This kinfe .liffers ess.'ulially 

 fr.mi tlie .-r.^.k.'.! .aiM lu knif.' s.. -.'ii. 'rally n.sed l)y th.' In. bans of 

 N.H'th America. .\s a rnl.' tli.' latt.'r lias ..iily th.' bla.l.' (wlii.'li is 



Th.'se kiiiv.'s are al th.' pr.'seiit tim.' ma.l.' of ir.)ii .ustc.'l an.l ar.'of tw.. 

 twosize.s, alarii.'knife, mi'.llin. witlia halt Id to L'l* in. -h.'s I.. n,u, intended 

 f..r workinf;-on wood, an.l a small .me, savi-r.i'n (lit. -an instrum.'nt for 

 .siiavinji"), \vilh a haft C ..r 7 in.'h.'s l.m- ami inten.le.l sii.'.'ially Ibr <'ut- 



tin-l e an.l iv..ry. l:.,th si/,.'s aiv lian.ll.'.l in the sam.' way. The 



knife is h.'l.l .'L.s.' t.. 111.' bla.l.' b.'tw.'cn tli.' iii.lex an.l s.'.'.m.l tln.u.'rs ..f 

 the rifiht hand witli th.' thumb over the c.l.i;.', whi.-h is towar.l tlie work- 

 man. The workman draws I In- knife towar.l him. usiiiii his thumb as a 

 eheck to {■aui;.' tli.' d.'plli ..f the cut. The nativ.'sus.' these knives with 

 very jzivat skill, lakiiii;- otf Ion-' and very ev.'U shavin.ys an.l pr.iilu.'ins 



There are in the c.ill.'.'li..n four large knives an.l thirt.'.'ii small ones. 

 N.(. .S'.li'T.S |7,S7| (fig. li;;) will s.'rve as the tyi>e of th.' larg.' knives. 

 The haft is a pi.'.'.' ..f r.-in.i.'.'r antler, flat ..n .m.' fa.'c an.l r.mn.h'.l ..n 

 th.' oth.'r, an.l th.' ciirv.' is t..war.l the r..un.l.'.l fa.'c. Th.' Mat fa.'c is 



' Comii.wi this with what .\i|.l. I'ar.y »a\s ..t tht. w„rkiiKm.shii. ..f thi- p.-oph- of Ighilik CM Voy.,1). 

 3.^0). The almost exclusive us,' .,1 l 1m- il..nlile-edgea pan'nii is the reason their work is so "remarkably 

 coarse and clums.y." 



