INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 203 



hooK is made of a small piece of wood shaped like a "potato masher," 

 having- sharpened nails on its sides. A rope is attached to it. This is 

 used especially to secure seals after they have been shot from the 

 shore. In removing the bone from the jaws of a whale and in cutting 

 up the l)lubber a knife shaped like a chisel. ])ut A^ory much larger, 

 attached to a long pole, is employed. 



OTHER HUNTING NECESSITIES. 



Whaleboats, having a mast and carrying a jib and main sail, are 

 used in the spring and whenever the sea is rough. At other times 

 canoes made of wooden frames and covered with walrus skins are used. 

 They have to 1)e beached, 1 think, after being in the water ten or 

 twelve hours, as when thoroughly saturated with water the skin cov- 

 ering would be of little use. The wooden frame is bound together 

 firmly by whalebone thread. These canoes hold a dozen persons at 

 the same time. They are usually paddled, although occasionally 

 rowed. The larger size is possibly 20 feet in length with 3^ feet 

 beam. Smaller ones are used for ducking in very calm water. Some- 

 times dogs are attached by long rop(\s to these canoes, and pull them, 

 some one on shore driving the dogs, and another person in the canoe 

 guiding the latter. 



Kayaks are used in the summer and earl}^ fall ))y a few natives on 

 lagoons. One can shoot ducks and spotted seals in the proper seasons, 

 but great care has to be exercised in shooting from a kayak. Fre- 

 quentl}^ a four-pronged dart is used in securing seals. 



Dog sleds are made of wood, having ivory on the bottom of the run- 

 ners. There is no support for the back of the person who sits on the 

 sled. Generally five or six dogs are harnessed alireast to one of these 

 sleds, and will pull one person during twelve hours at the rate of 5 or 

 (') miles per hour on the average, if the snow is hard. 



HUNTING. 



The hunting of seals in the early winter is carried on east and south 

 of the promontory of Chibukuk along the shore of the large bay. A 

 hunter goes on a sled usually, having a team of five or six dogs and 

 dragging a "trailer" behind on which to bring back his game. 

 The dogs generally lie down quietly, tied to the sled, and the hunter 

 goes 200 feet or more to the shore, where ho hides behind a "l)lind" 

 constructed of large pieces of ribs of whales or walruses, logs, and 

 stones. From this hiding place he watches the water in front of him 

 for many hours. He takes a lunch with him and some food also for 

 his dogs. This shore is distant from Gambell about 3i miles by the 

 path or "turnit" followed by the teams. When there is shore ice, the 

 hunter goes to the edge of the ice with his team, and there takes his 



