238 THE HUDSON BAY ESKIMO. 



from tlie hole wbere the rower sits to the stern of the kaiak. The hole 

 for hishodyisplacedhetweeaapairof crossbars where the efiuilibriuui 

 will be best maintained. The hoop of wood which outlin(\s the hole is 

 variable in shape, but resembles half of a short ellips(% the posterior of 

 which is slightly curved to lit the back of the rower. Just forward of 

 tlie seat the upiier surface of the cauoe is somewhat elevated by the 

 curvature of the crossbars, and it thus enables the rower to have 

 greater freedom for his limbs tlian he otherwise would. This particu- 

 lar part, the elevation just forward of him, aloue resembles auy portion 

 of the kaiaks used by the Alaskan Eskimo, and of these, only the sub- 

 tribes in the \ icinity of Bering strait [and thence to Point Barrow. — J. 

 M.] have that part of the kaiak so fashioned. With that exception the 

 top of the Iludson strait kaiak is flat on the top. Just forward of the 

 hatch, two or three stout thongs are sewed to the outer edge of each 

 side of the boat and extend across the top. A similar thong is jilaced 

 behind. Under these thongs are placed the paddle, also the spears, 

 and otlier hunting gear. Small game is sometimes tied to these. 



The outfit, consisting of spears and their aijpurtenances, properly be- 

 longs with the kaiak. Of these implements, there are difterent kinds, 

 depending on the game and the season of the year. As the kaiak is 

 used only during the seasons of open water it is laid aside durmg the 

 winter. 



I remember an instance occui-ring opposite Fort Chimo. A kaiak 

 had been left until the ice in tlie river was fii-m enough to enable the 

 vessel to be brought over on it to the station. One day a woman de- 

 clared that she could see a wolf tearing the skin from the frame. It 

 was scarcely credited, but in thocourseof half an hour the wolf started 

 across towards the jjost. It was met and showed souk^ disposition to 

 attack, but was shot. I watched to see where the men went to look at 

 the kaiak, and when they reached the j>lace I was astounded that the 

 woman coidd discern even the kaiak at such a distance. 



The spear used for white whales and large seals consists of a wooden 

 shaft of (J or 8 feet in length, having a projection on the side, made of 

 ivory and shaped like the fin of a fish. This fin shaped piece rests 

 against the forefinger, while tlie remainder of the hand grasps the 

 shaft. The lower end of the shaft terminates in a ijiece of bone or ivory 

 of 1 to 1^ inches in diameter. (Fig. 07.) A socket is made in the end of 

 the bone portion, and the wooden sliaft is nicely fitted into it and fas- 

 tened either by thongs or rivets. At the farther end of the bone head is 

 a thimble-shaped hole gouged out, and into tliis a short piece of straight 

 bone or ivory is fitted, having the ends so shaped that they will work 

 smoothly into the hole at the end of the bone head of the s])ear. The 

 farther end of this bone shaft is so shaped that it will work into the 

 bone or ivory portion of the piece into which the spear point is fastened. 

 The point is shown in the accomjjanying figure (Fig. 08) and is not 



