322 



[XT BAKROW ESKIMO. 



(Mill of ilif strap is cut narrow, yiasscil through the bead, and kuotti-d on 

 tliiM'ud This case carries a lialf-do/.«'U of the old-fashioned 1 xiiii' iieeiUe.s, 

 which appear to he neuuiue. It is 3-7 iuches long and, n)ughly spealv- 

 ing, (1-1 in diameter. No. 893G9 [1201], also from Utkiavwin, resembles 

 the'above. but lias a wolverine's toe sewed to the eud of the strap. ISTo. 

 8!);571 [127(1]. from rtkiavwin, also has the to.- of a wolverine for a knob, 

 and has a belt hook with two ton-u.'s made of reiu.leer antler. No. 

 S!i:iti(i [n;i7]. from rtkiavwii""i. is a hi.ulily ornamented case of this 

 pattern, wiiicli has a short cyhiidrical knob, also ornamented. No. 

 S'.t.-'.ii.s |1((.S'.(|. from I'lkiavwin. is not made of bird's bone, but is apiece 

 of a loll"- hone from some mammal, ami has a brown bear's toe for a 

 knoll. No. s'.»:;(i7 |l.'.:!li|, from tlie same village, is roughly made of a 

 branch of antler, .l-U inches loiii; and O-S wide, hollowed out. It has a 



knob of whale's bone, but no belt 1 k, the end of the straji being- knotted 



into a leather thimble of the tirst iiattern. Of the six specimens of this 

 ].atterii in the collection only the Ib'st is a genuine old imph'iiient. All 



Tills kind of necdh' <-ase is \cry commonly used thronghouf Alaska, 

 as is shown by tlK' enormous collections in the National Museum brought 

 home liy various explorers. Nelson, Turner, Dall and others. The needle 

 case from Iglulik, tiguri'd by ('apt. Lyon.' resembles the second or older 



nor bi'lt hook. To the <Mids of the straj) are hung thimbles "and other 

 small articles liable to be lost." ' l>r. Sini)>son' sjieaks of the needle ea.se 

 ill use at Point l".ai-|-o\\, lint merely describes It as "a narrow strip of 



skill ill which the (lies are stuck, with a tube of lioiie, ivory, or iron 



to slide ilown over them, and ke|>t from slipping otf the lower eud by a 

 knoll or large liea.l." This appears to refer <inly to the second or older 

 liattciii. 



Tlic-oldTashioiicd ring tliimbles were usually carried on the belt hook 

 of the iieedlccasi'. lint iiiodeiii thinililes re<iuire a box. These boxes 

 (kigiunu), which are usually small and cylindrical, also serve for holding 

 thread, beads, and all sorts of little trinkets or kuickknacks, and many 

 of tbem are so old that they were evidently used for this purpose long 

 before the iiitr<iducti<in of metal thimldes. Little tin <'anisters, spice 

 lioxes. etc.. are also used Ibr the same purjiose nowadays. We brought 

 home thirtei'iioftiiese boxes, of which No. .S!(4()7 [ll."iS] Fig. 32!lrt has been 

 chosen as the type, it is a iii.'ceof the lieaiii of a stout aidler, 4-3 inches 

 long, cut olf s(|iiare on the <mii1s aii<i hollowed out. Into the large end 

 is littcil a tlat bottom of thin iiiiie, fastened in by Ibur little treenails of 

 wood. The cover is of the same material. It is hehl on by a string of 

 sin. 'w braid about 11 im-h.'s long, whi.'li passes out thr.ingli the lower 

 of tlie t«o little hoh's on one side of the lx>x, being hehl by a kn.d at 



