MISCELLANEOUS IMPLEMENTS. 



253 



spears are at times used but these only when the hunter is close to tlie 

 prey. 



Some of the men have aequired considerable skill in fashioning' iron 

 into the required shape. They eagerly stand around anyone who may 

 be at work, and evince the greatest curiosity in anything 

 new. 



The collection contains two of the snow knives referred 

 to above. Xo. 30G7 is a large snow knife, made from the 

 lower x)ortion of the main stem of the horn of the male rein- 

 deer. It is simjjly lialfof the split lioru with the middle 

 scooped out. The length is 12 inches. This form of instru- 

 ment is used more especially to smooth down the inequali- 

 ties of the blocks of snow after being placed in position. 

 Xo. 31i0 (Fig. 70) is a large snow knife made 

 of walrus ivory. It is 13 inches long and 

 nearly 2 inches wide for the greater part of 

 the blade, which terminates in a rounded 

 lioint. The instrument has two edges, and in 

 general appearances resembles a double-edged 

 liomau sword. The handle is cut to fit to the 

 hand. 



Among other peculiar implements collected 

 is one represented in Fig. 71 (No. 3555), which 

 is a " back-scratcher." This instrument con- 

 sists of a shaft made from a limb of a larch 

 tree. It is 17 inches long and about three- 

 fourths of an inch through, flattened to less 

 than half an inch and tapering toward the 

 end to be lield in the hand. On the lower end 

 is a dish-shaped ynece of reinder horn, two and 

 one-eighth inches long and seven-eighths of 

 wTnlfe''^ an inch wide. Tlirough the center of the 

 piece of horn an oblong hole has been cut for 

 the insertion of the shaft or handle. The edges of the 

 horn piece are sharp as can be made. This piece is one- 

 third of an inch thick, and having the sharp edge up is 

 convenient for thrusting down the back to scratch one's 

 self in places where the hand could not reach on account 

 of thick deerskin clothing. The Eskimo name of the in- 

 strument is ku-m6-u-t)k, or that which removes lice. 



The steel needles obtained from the traders are kept in 

 a little ivory receptacle of various shapes, two of which ^SVatcbl.? 'kou' 

 are shown in Figs. 72 and 73. Boagmyut. 



This is hoUow and filled with any sphagnum moss. One end is per- 

 manently closed by a wooden or ivory plug, held in by little pegs. The 

 plug in the other end is easily taken out. The needle case is usually 



Flu, 

 snow 

 Koksuagmyut 



