248 



THE HUDSON BAY ESKIMO. 



■P 



tacliecl to tbe skin after the flesh has been scraped from them. The 

 skin is now inflated with air and hung up to dry. In a few hours it 

 is turned with the hairy side out and again inflated 

 for awhile. The mouth and all other openings in the 

 skin are carefully sewed up. A large button of ivory, 

 shaped much like a pulley, nearly 2 inches in diame- 

 ter, is put where the mouth of the skin is and a por- 

 tion of the skin carefully wrapped around it, thongs 

 of sealskin tightening the moist skin in the groove of 

 the mouthpiece. Thispiecehas aholeabout one-third 

 of an inch in diameter bored through it. Tlie hind 

 flipi^ers and tail have a stick of 2 or 3 inches in length 

 placed within the skin and are then firmly bound 

 around the stick, which serves to stop up any hole and 

 also to furnish a handle by which to drag or hold the 

 float. The hole in the mouthpiece is plugged with a 

 stojiper of wood. When the float is wanted for use 

 the skin is inflated. When inflated the float has a 

 diameter about two-thirds the length. If it is to be 

 attached to a tracking line the float is fastened by 

 the stick, which is secured within the skin of the 

 hind flippers and dragged backwards. The function 

 of the float in this instance is to prevent the tracking 

 line from becoming "fouled" among the rocks and 

 stones of the beach along which the line runs in tow- 

 ing a boat (or umiak). In a similar manner it is 

 affixed to the hariwon line used for large marine 

 mammals, such as the white whale and the larger 

 species of seals. This float not only retards the flight 

 of the speared animal, but it serves to mark the spot 

 where it sinks, for at certain seasons the seals sink 

 as soon as they die. A speared animal always sinks 

 more quickly than one shot dead with a ball, probably 

 because its struggles are more prolonged in the flrst 

 instance and exhaustion of breath is more complete. 



The hair of the animal whose skin is intended for a 



float is sometimes scraped oft" before the skin is re 



moved from the body, otherwise it may be left until 



the skin is i)artly dry and then be shaved oft'. Tlie 



manner of loosening the hair is similar to that used 



by butchers of hogs, only that the boiling watei' is 



poured on and a small patch of hair pulled off at a 



time, instead of submerging the entire animal. Tlie hair from the gieeu 



skin must be carefully pulled out or else the black scurf adhering will 



be detached and thus render the skin less nearly waterproof. 



The skins or bags used for holding oil and fat are prepared in a sim- 



7^ 



»f 



i 



Fit;. 66. Bow case 

 East M;nu Eskimo. 



