NELSON] DOG HARNESS—BREAST YOKES 201 
character were obtained from various localities between Norton sound 
and Point Hope, on the Arctic coast, and thence across Bering strait to 
the coast of Siberia, and on St Lawrence island. 
Figure 4, plate LXxvI, illustrates a small ivory block of this charac- 
ter, from St Lawrence island. It is somewhat pear-shape, with a hole 
through one end, surrounded by a lip or bead-like elevation; this hole 
and a groove on each side are intended to receive a permanent cord. In 
a direction transverse to this hole is a larger one, through which the 
cord is passed in making a temporary attachment. Another of these 
blocks from St Lawrence island (figure 5, plate LXXVI) has an incised 
groove, forming a neck, between the two holes. 
Some of these blocks are very rudely shaped, as is shown in figure 3, 
plate Lxxvi, from St Lawrence island. This example is cut without 
any attempt to round off the corners. Another very plainly made 
specimen was obtained at Unalaklit. 
In addition to the use of dogs for hauling sleds, it is a common prac- 
tice among the Eskimo when traveling in summer to put their dogs on 
shore and harness them to a long line attached to the bow of the boat, 
one of the party remaining on shore to drive the dogs, which travel 
along the beach and pull the boat. By the employment of this means 
much labor is saved. 
BREAST YOKES 
From Nunivak island southward beyond the mouth of Kuskokwim 
river the people are in the habit of using breast yokes when carrying 
heavy burdens on their backs; they are made of flattened pieces of 
wood, crescentic in form, with a hole at one end through which a cord 
is fastened; at the other end is a knob-like enlargement, with a notch 
on its outer side, over which a loop on thé end of the cord can be 
slipped. 
Figure 14, plate LxxVI, illustrates one of these breast yokes, which 
was obtained on Nunivak island by Doctor W. H. Dall. It consists of a 
flattened board, slightly crescentic in shape, about three inches wide 
and half an inch in thickness. On the curved front is carved in relief a 
human face, the eyes, mouth, and nostrils being incised, as are also 
four parallel lines extending downward from near the corners of the 
mouth, to represent tattooing; across the front each way from the face 
is a broad groove which narrows to a point at the outer end, along each 
edge of which are set six small reindeer teeth. The face, grooves, and 
tips of the yoke are painted red; the remainder of the front and upper 
border is black. Doctor Dall obtained another yoke of this kind on 
Nunivak island; it has a beveled front and a slight ridge along the cen- 
ter, which is narrow in the middle but broader toward the ends. 
A yoke trom Chalitmut (number 36023) is constricted in the middle 
and expanded into a wing-like form toward each end. 
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