210 



THE HUDSON BAY ESKIMO. 



material for clotbiug, as the skiu is roughly tauued, aud no amount of 

 working will render it more than moderately pliable. Figs. 32 and 33 

 represent a sealsktn coat. These coats are often trinnued round the 

 edges with fringes of deei-skiu 2 or 3 inches wide, oi little pendants of 

 ivory. 



Fig. 30. Eskimo man's flrf-rskiii coat (front). 



The collection contains eleven of these coats, Nos. 3221,3498-3500, 

 and 3558 of deerskin, and Nos. 3228, 3533-3537 of sealskin. 



The peculiar shape of the woman's coat is best understood by refer- 

 ence to the accompanying figiu'es (Figs. 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38). The 

 enormous hood is used for carrying the infant. When sitting, the 

 female tisually disposes the front flap so that it will lie spread upon 

 the thighs, or else i)ushes it between her legs, while the hind flap is 

 either thrown aside or sat upon. 



It is not unusual for the women to display considerable taste in 

 ornamenting their garments, using the steel-gray pelt of the harp seal 

 to contrast with the black of the harbor seal, and so on. The edges of 

 the hood and sleeves are frequently trimmed witli skin from a dark 



