30,) TIIK rt)lXT BAUliDW E8KIMO. 



process in all its sla-cs, aii.l •■an Mu-ivtbre s'iv only a -.■ncral account 

 ofit. ])cerskins aiv always dressed as furs, with tlir hair on. The 



;kin isroiis-h-dncU innic(,|M-i 



wiMicoiisidcraldrsMbciitaiicimstissue 



woman takes tin- skin and w.-rks it ovr can^tiilly with a. stone scraper 

 on the tlesh side. rcniii\ iiij;- every scrap of subeiitaueous tissue and 

 '■ lireakinii tlie urain " of the skin, which leaves a surface resembling 

 white chamois leather and very soft. This is then rubbed downi with a 



with chalk, so that when 



same way. Small seal skins to be worn with the hair on are scraped 

 very clean and. 1 think, soaked in urine, before they an' spread out to 

 dry. The black waterj.roof sealskin has tin' hair shavc.l off close to 

 the skin, .uTcat care bcin.u- taken to leave the epidermis intact, and also 

 has a certain amount of tannin- in mine, it is probable that a little 

 <.f tlu> blubber is l<-fl on tlu-se skins, to make them oily and wateii.roof. 



When, howcvci' they wish to |ii'epare the white tanned sealskin, the 

 skins are broii-ht into the warm house, thawed out or dampened and 

 t lieu rolled i\p and a llowe<l to ferment for several day s, so that when they are 

 unrolled hair and cpidi'rmis are easily seraped olf to-ether. The skin 

 is then soaked in urine, stretched on a lar.uc hoojt, and luit out to dry in 

 the sun and air. Many of these skins are pivpared during the first 

 suiuiy weather in the early sprini;-. The skins of the large seal, walrus 



or bear when used for boatcovers oi- 1 t soles apiiear to be sweated 



in the same way. as the epi<lermis is always removed. We did in)t learn 

 whether mine was employed on these skins, Imt I thiidc from their 

 ordinary appeaiance that they are simply stretched and dried in their 

 own fat. as appears to ]<v the case with the skill of the beluga, from 

 whicii the epidermis is easily s(aa|.ed without sweating.' 



Combs for (Urr.skiH.s.—nn' loosened hairs on a <leerskiii garment are 

 removed by means of a eond) made of a section of the l)eam of an ant- 

 ler, hollow^ed out and cut into fe<'tli on the end. This instrument prob- 

 ably serves also to remove vernnn. as its mime " kiimotin" looks very 

 miichasif <ieri\cd from kumiik. louse. I must say, however, that the na- 

 tives whom i asked if kiimotin had anythinu to do with ki'imuk said 

 it had not. When vermin get troublesome in a gariiieiit, it is taken 

 out on the tundia. away from the houses, and beaten with rods like a 

 carpet. Very old -arments when iniich infested with lice are taken 

 out back oft he village, (alt into small pieces, and burned. It is no un- 

 <-om n si-ht in the spriii.t;- to see an old woman sitting out on the tun- 

 dra, busy with her knih' .aittiiig up old clothes. 



We bn.u-ht home nine of these combs, of wiiich No. 80354 [1870], 

 Fig. .".ubi. has been selerted as the type. It is ij inches long and has 



