MURDOCH. ] MITTENS. 123 
ARM CLOTHING. 
Mittens —The hands are usually protected by mittens (aitka’ti) of 
different kinds of fur. The commonest kind are of deerskin, worn with 
the flesh side out. Of these the collection contains one pair, No. 89828 
[973] (Fig. 67). They are made of thick winter reindeer skin, with the 
white flesh side outward, in the shape of ordinary mittens but short and 
not narrowed at the wrists, with the thumb short and clumsy. The 
seams are all sewed “over and over” on the hair side. These mittens 
are about 74 inches long and 45 broad. The free part of the thumb is 
only 24 inches long on the outer side. Such mittens are the ordinary 
hand covering of men, women, and children. In extreme cold weather 
or during winter hunting, very heavy mittens of the same shape, but 
gathered to a wristband, are worn. These are made of white bearskin 
for men and women, 
for children of dog- 
skin, with the hair 
out. When the hand 
covered with such a 
mitten is held upon 
the windward sideof 
the face in walking, 
the long hair affords 
a very efficient pro- 
tection against the 
wind. The long stiff 
hair of the  bear- 
skin also makes the 
mitten a very con- 
venient brush for re- 
moving snow and hoar frost from the clothes. It is even sometimes 
used for brushing up the floor. 
In the MacFarlane collection are similar mittens from the Mackenzie 
region. Petitot! says the Anderson River * chief” wore pualuk ‘“ mi- 
taines en peau de morse, aussi blanches et aussi soyeuses que de belle 
laine.” These were probably of bearskin, as a mitten of walrus skin 
is not likely to be * blanche” or ‘‘soyeuse.” Gloves are worn under 
these as at Point Barrow. All these mittens are short in the wrist, 
barely meeting the frock sleeve, and leaving a crack for the cold to get 
in, which is partially covered by the usual wolf or wolverine skin fringe 
of the sleeve. I have already mentioned the common habit among the 
women of carrying only one mitten and drawing one arm inside of the 
frock.2, The men, except when hunting, frequently wear only one of 
these heavy mittens, which are called pu/alu. Waterproof mittens of 
black sealskin, coming well up over the forearm, were also observed, but 
not obtained. I do not remember ever seeing them in use. 
Fic. 67.—Deerskin mittens. 
1 Monographie, etc., p. xv. 
2?Compare Parry, 2d Voy., p. 494, where a simila habit is mentioned at Iglulik. 
