MURDOCH. ] BOOTS. wet 
from the white whale skins, are obtained from the eastern natives or 
elsewhere. Such crimped soles are in use among the Eskimo every- 
where, varying but little in general pat- 
tern. The Greenland boots are specially 
noticeable for the neatness of the crimp- 
ing, while specimens in the Museum from 
the central region are decidedly slovenly 
in their workmanship. The boots worn 
by the natives of Plover Bay have the 
sole narrowed at the shank and hardly 
coming over the foot except at the toe 
and heel, where they are crimped, but 
less deeply than usual. This style of sole 
very much resembles those of a pair of 
Kamehatdale boots in the National Mu- 
seum, which, however, are turned up with- 
out crimping, as is the case with the boots 
used by the Aleuts on the Commander 
Islands, of which Dr. L. Stejneger has 
kindly shown me a specimen. There is a 
folded ‘‘ welt” of sealskin in the seam be- 
tween the upper and sole of the Plover 
Bay boots. Iam informed by Capt. Heren- 
deen that the natives have been taught to 
put this in by the whalemen who every 
year purchase large numbers of boots on 
the Siberian coast, for use in the Arctic. Similar welts, which are very 
unusual on Eskimo boots, are to be seen on some brought by Mr. Nelson 
from Kings Island and Norton Sound. The 
winter boots usually have uppers of deer- 
skin, generally the short-haired skin from 
thelegs. Mountain-sheep skin is sometimes 
used for full-dress boots, and sealskin with 
the hair out for working boots. The latter 
is not a good material, as the snow sticks 
z to it badly. There are four pairs of men’s 
winter boots in the collection, from which 
No. 56750 [111] (Fig. 75) has been selected 
as the type of the everyday pattern. They 
are made of deer-leg skin with white seal- 
skin soles. Leg and upper are in four 
pieces,! back 1, two sides 2 2, and front 3; 
1 and 5 are gored at aaa to fit the swell 
of the calf; 1 and 3 are of dark skin, and 2 2 lighter colored, especially 
along the middle. The bottom is cut off accurately to fit the sole but the 
top is left irregular, as this is concealed by the breeches. The boots are 
Fie. 75.—Man's boot of deerskin. 
3 
Fic. 76.—Pattern of deerskin boot. 
1See diagram, Fig. 76. 
