50 THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT [ETH. ANN. 18 
the labrets were invariably removed in order to prevent the lip from 
freezing, as must have occurred had they remained in place. The 
labrets were removed and carried in a small bag until we approached 
a village at night, when they were taken out and replaced, that the 
Fic. 11—Tattooing on women (a, South of Yukon mouth; b, East cape, Siberia; c,c, Head of 
Kotzebue sound). 
wearer might present a proper appearance before the people. They 
are also sometimes removed when eating and before retiring for the 
night. 
TATTOOING 
Tattooing is universally practiced among the women of the Bering 
strait region, but has attained its greatest development on the Siberian 
coast and St Lawrence island. On the tundra south of the Yukon only 
part of the women are tattooed, and I was informed that the practice 
is comparatively recent among them. They claim to have adopted it 
from the women of Nunivak island, who had straight lines on their 
cheeks, and also from having seen tattooing on the faces of Tinné 
women. The common pattern used in this district is a pair of lines 
across the chin from each corner of the mouth, as shown in figure 11,a. 
fa0 
Fic. 12—Tattooing on a St Lawrence island girl. 
Malemut women, as well as those from Noatak and Kowak rivers, 
cross the chin with series of lines of tattooing radiating from the lower 
lip, as shown in figure 11, b, c; they also frequently have straight lines 
across the back of the wrist and forearm. On St Lawrence island and 
