1(J(I 



ItAKKOW KSKIJK 



as ai Point BamiwJ Aiiioiij; tin- Ivskiiiio iif the t-eiitral region tbey 

 arc alniosi fiitiiclx uniouiwu. 'I'ln- only iiieution I have seen of such 

 tools is in I'anv's Second \'oyajic (i». o(»4), where he speaks of seeing at 



l"hllik "SC 



.pen 



ciookeil wooden liandles," which 

 liunlvs ••must lia\c- lii'cn oldaincd liy coninmnication alongshore with 

 Hudson l>ay." I can lind no specimen. figure, or desciiption of the sa'nat 

 ("lool" I. I lit- tool par excellence of i he < iiccn landers, except the follow- 

 ing delinition in K!cins( limidfs "(Ironhimlsk Ordl.og": "2. Specially 

 a narrow, long hailed knife, wliicli is sliarpened on one side and slightly 

 curved at the tii)(and wiiirh is a (Ireenlander's cluef to(d).'" Tliis seems 

 to indii'ali' thai tin's knil'c. s(] i-ommon in the A\'est. is e(pndl.\ common 

 in dreeidand.' 



Whelh.-r tlicse people used crooked knives before t he intloduction of 

 iron is l.y no means cerlaiu. llmugli ]iot improbable. Fig. \\l,i. Xo. 

 8!)(i;i;i [lUHiJ, from rtkiavuiu. is a kiiiie made by imbedding a tiake of 

 gray Hint in the lower .-d-e of a lialt ol' reindeer antlei-. of th.' in-ojier 

 shape and curvature loi :i midrm handle. The haft is soiled and 



ubtedl 



historic knife, and t 



kniv.-sall obviously new and m. 

 refused to buy any more, leads me to sus])ect tliat it was fabricated 

 with very -reat care from old mateiial. and skillbilly soiled by the maker. 

 Ten of these kinves of Hint weri' purchased within a fortnight before 

 we dele<-ted the ilecci'l. I'ig. 117/>, Xo. ,S!l<;;:;(i [ll'lL'| is one of the 

 best (d' these counterfeits, made by wedging a freshly flaked tlint Wade 

 into the liaft (.f an old savii^ron. which has been scuuewhat trimmed to 

 "■'•'■ciNc tlic l,ladc and soiled and charred to uiake it look old. Other 

 mure carelessly made ones had clumsily cai\ ed hainlles of whale's bone, 

 uilh i,.u,uldy tiakcl lliuls stu.-k into them and -bled in with oil dregs. 

 All „]■ these cam., from Itkiavwiii. .\ii,,tliei- susiiici.urs ciicumstance 

 is that a few days previously two slale-bladed crooked knives had been 

 lu-ought ilowii from Xuwfd. au.l accepted VNJthout .pu'sti.ui as ancient. 

 On examining Hie specimens since ,,ur return. 1 lind that while the 

 halts are certaiidy .dd. Hie blades, which are of soft slate easily worked, 



<lh>k in IHli.'',. 



' A »|.,vi„„ 



knir,-i„ ,,:,.., 



cTi)i)lse<l liiiif.-'' (Voyasc. II. 181), iW i 

 f(I .It tbi- N'ulioiiiil MiisiMuii. It i» I 



)la iijied in Ka- 



