boas] PKEPAHATfON OF SEALSKINS. 5|9 



If the skin is to be used with the hair on it, the tougli membrane 

 (niami) which covers the inner side is removed in the same way 

 as the blubber and, after it has been carefully patched ;ip and lioles 

 have been cut all around the edge, is stretched over a gravelly 

 place or on snow by means of long pegs (pauktun), which hold it a 

 few inches above the ground, thus allowing the air to circulate 

 underneath it. The skin itself is washed and rubbed with gravel, 

 snow, or ice and every hole made by the bullet or by the spear or in 

 preparing it is sewed up. It very seldom happens that the women 

 in preparing it damage the skin or even the thin mami. It is par- 

 ticularly difficult to split the skin near a hole. First they finish 

 the work all around it and then carefully sever the membrane at its 

 edge. The skin is dried in the same way as the membrane. In the 

 early part of spring, though it may still be very cold, a few choice 

 young sealskins are dried on snow walls which face to the south. 



F If 41 Old -.ty le of tesirqun oi- seraper. 

 (Museum fui \ olkerkunde, Berlin.) 



In order thoroughly to dry a sealskin one fine warm spring day is 

 needed. If the Eskimo are greatly in need of skins they dry them in 

 winter over the lamps. A frame is made of four poles, lashed to- 

 gether, according to the size of the skin. A thong passes through 

 the slits along its edge and around the frame, keeping the skin well 

 stretched. Thus it is placed over the lamps or near the roof of the 

 hut. However, it is disagreeable work to dry the skins inside the 

 huts, and, as they are much inferior to those which are dried on 

 the ground, the Eskimo avoid it if they can. When so prepared the 

 sealskins are only fit for covering tents, making bags, &c. ; they are 

 far too hard to be used for clothing, for which purpose the skin of 

 yearlings is almost exclusively used. The young seals, having shed 



