134 THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 
the other, which is then “blind-stiteched” down by sewing it ‘over and 
over” on the edge, taking pains to run the stitches only part way 
through the other piece. The seam is then turned and the edge of 
the outer piece is turned in and 
“rn” down to the grain side 
of the under with fine stitches 
which do not run through to 
the flesh side of it. Thus in 
neither seam are there holes 
through both pieces at once. 
The sewing is done with fine 
sinew thread and very fine 
round needles (the women used 
to ask for “little needles, like 
a hair”), and the edge of the 
leather is softened by wetting 
it in the mouth. A similar wa- 
terproof seam is used in sewing 
together boat covers. 
There is one pair of water- 
proof boots in the collection 
(No. 76182 [1794] Fig. 81). The 
tops are of black dressed seal- 
skin, reaching to the knee and 
especially full on the instep and 
ankle, which results from their being made with the least possible num- 
ber of seams, to reduce the chance of leaking. The soles are of white 
whale skin, turned up about 14 inches all around. The leg and upper 
are nade all in one piece so that the double water-tight seam runs down 
the front of the leg to the instep, and then diagonally across the foot 
to the quarter on one side. The bottom is cut off accurately to fit the 
top of the sole. The edges of the upper and the sole are put together 
so that the inside of the former comes against the inside of the latter, 
and the two are “run” together with fine stitches, with a stout double 
under-thread running through them along the surface of the upper. 
The ornamental band at the top is of white sealskin “run” on with 
strong dark thread, and the checkered pattern is made by drawing a 
strip of black skin through slits in the white. Round the top of the 
band is sewed a binding of black sealskin, which holds a drawstring 
of sinew braid. The sole is kept up in shape and the boot made to fit 
round the ankle by a string of sealskin twine passed through four loops, 
one on each side just back of the ball of the foot, and one on each 
quarter. These loops are made of little strips of white whale skin, 
doubled over and sewed to the edge of the sole on the outside. The 
ends of the string are passed through the front loop so that the bight 
Fic. 80.—Pair of man’s dress boots of deerskin. 
