240 THE HUDSON BAY ESKIMO. 



plaited rope or skin to slip nearly to the beginning of the blade. This 

 causes the dripping to fall outside of the kaiak ; and in cold weather is 

 very necessary, unless heavy mittens of tanned sealskin be worn. 



An implement used for hooking into the body of a sunken seal or 

 whale is made in the following manner: A piece of wood is prepared 

 about 8 feet long and three fourths of an inch thick, having a width of 

 an inch and a half. The lower end of this lias a strong hook made of 

 stout iron set into it. Along the inner edge of the wooden shaft two 

 or three notches are cut. The end near the person has a V-shaped 

 notch cut into it. This is used for all the purposes of a boat hook, and 

 also to retrieve a sunken animal. A weight is attached to near the 

 hook end to keep the shaft perpendicular in the water. A line of suffi- 

 cient length is attached to it. The hunter has marked the locality, and 

 with the hook "feels" the bottom for the game. When found the hook 

 is jerked into the skin and the object brought to the surface. The 

 staif is very necessary while the kaiak is being moved through nar- 

 row channels among the ice fields. It is, in fact, available in many in- 

 stances where the paddle would, from its length, be useless. The kaiak 

 outfit would be incomplete without the hook. 



A young man starts out in life with a gun and ammunition with 

 which to prociire game. If he has the energy to become a successful 

 hunter he will soon be able to make a kaiak, and thus procure the 

 marine mammals whose skins will aftbrd a covering for an umiak and 

 in the course of time additional skins fi)r a tent. These possessions 

 usually come in the order laid down, and when they are all procured he 

 is generally able to have others under his direction assist in transport- 

 ing them from place to place; and thus he becomes the head of a gens 

 or family, including his brothers and sisters with their husbands, 

 wives, and children. These usually move in a body wherever the head 

 may dictate, and all their ijossessions accompany them on the journey. 

 Brothers often live together and own the tent and umiak, the re- 

 mainder of the household affairs being considered as individual prop- 

 erty and not to be used by all without permission. 



Some of the men are too improvident to prepare these skins when 

 they have the opportunity, and thus they are unable to own a kaiak, 

 which prevents them from providing themselves with the umiak and 

 tent. These persons must live with others or dwell by themselves and 

 pass a miserable existence, scarcely noticed by their fellows even dur- 

 ing a season of abundance. 



The collection contains one full-sized kaiak, with all its fittings, and 

 their models, including a toy kaiak cut from a walrus tusk. The model 

 is just 9 inches long and quite perfect in form. The double-bladed 

 paddle accompanying is made from the same material, and is six inches 

 long. 



ON LAND. 



The universal means of transportation on land is the sled, drawn by 



