;5r)i 



thrni. as the ash linnber wliii-h we brou.ulit from Saii I''raii.isro pro\rd 

 too brittle for the purpos.'. Tlaviii- a Ion- pin-.' (,f wooil, h.' ---ot out" 

 the whole rim iii one piece. Ordinarily the splici' at tlieloc nnist be 

 made, at- least temi;)orarily, before the fianic can be bent iiiio shape. 

 He softened up the W(tod by wrappini; it in la-s wi^t with hot water. 

 Some of the other mitives. however, recounjuaided that the wood 

 sliouhl be immersed in the salt watei- loi' a day oi- twii, liom wliich 1 

 infer that this is a eommon jiraetici'. Altei' slowly bendin.u the toe. 

 witli great eare, nearly into shape, he inserted into the bend a tlathloek 

 of wood of the proper shape for the toe and lashed the frame to this. 

 A pointed block was also used to give the proper shape to the heel; 

 the bars being inserted in the mortises before the ends were bnmght 

 together. The temporary lashings are kept on till the wood dries into 

 shape. The toes are turned up by tying tiie shoes together, sole to 

 sole, and inserting a transverse stick between the tips of the toes. 



The use <d' finely linished snowshoes of this pattern is of e para- 



tively recent date at Point Barrow. Dr. Simi)S(.n' is explicit concein 

 ing the use of snowshoes in his time ( IS".; !-',->:.). lie says: ••Snowshoes 

 are so seldom used in \hv north where the diiftedsiiow pn-sents a hard 

 frozen surface to walk upon, that ceitainly not half a dozen paiis were 

 in existence at I'oint I'.airow at the time of oui- arrival, and tlios.. wi're 

 of an inferior sort." I have alicady nu-ntioned the universal employ- 

 ment of these snowshoes at the present day, so that the custom must 

 hav.' arisen in the last thirty years. The pattern of shoe now used is 

 identical with t lios.- of I he Tinn.' .u- .\fhabascan Indians las is plainly 

 shown by the National Museum colhMtions), and I am incliiu'd to be- 

 lieve that the I'oint Kanow natives have learned to use them from the 



-Xunatanmiun." fr whom, indeed, they purchase ready-maile snow 



shoes at the present dav. as we ourselves observed. The "Nunatan- 

 miun." or the closely related pcoph' of the Kuwuk Eiver. are known to 

 have intimate trading relations with the Indians, and even in Simp- 

 ■son's time' used the Indian shoe, s.uuetimes at least. The fa<-t that in 

 re<-.'nt times fandlies of the •• Xunatafimiun " have establishe<l the habit 

 of spending the winter with the peoph' of Point Harrow- and associat- 

 ing with them in the winter dc<'r-linnt. would explain how the latter 



