288 THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 
pressed against the fleshy part of the palm which serves as a cushion 
and is protected by wearing a thick deer-skin mitten. The tool is firmly 
grasped well forward in the right hand with the thumb on top of the 
blade and by pressing the point steadily on the edge of the flint, flakes 
of the desired size are made to fly-off from the under surface. 
These tools vary little in pattern, but are made of different materials. 
é 
Fig. 279.—Flint tlakers 
Hard bone appears to have been the commonest material for the blade, 
as three out of the seven blades are of this substance. One specimen 
(No. 89263 [796] from Utkiavwin) has a blade of iron of the same shape 
but only 2 inches long. No. 89264 [1001] also from Utkiaywit, Fig. 
279a, has a short blade of black flint flaked into a four-sided rod 14 
inches long. This is held in place by a whipping of stout seal thong 
tightened by thrusting a splinter of wood in at the back of the groove. 
Two specimens (Nos. 89260[794| Fig. 279) and 89261 [1216] 
both trom Utkiavwin) have blades of the peculiar Nuesuknan 
concretions previously described. — Each isan oblong pebble 
wedged into the groove and secured by a lashing as usual. 
No. 89260 [794] has a haft of antler. This is rather the com- 
monest material for the haft. Twospecimens have hafts of 
walrus ivory and three of fossilivory. The length of the haft 
is from 6 to 8 inches, of the blade 1-5 to 4:7 inches. Fig. 280 
(No. 89265 [979] from Nuwitk) is the haft of one of these tools, 
made of fossil ivory, yellow from age and stained brown in 
blotches, which shows the way in which the groove for the 
blade was excayated, namely, by boring a series of large round 
holes and cutting away the material between them. The re- 
mains of the holes are still to be seen in the bottom of the 
groove. The tip of this haft has been roughly carved into a 
bear’s head with the eyes and nostrils incised and filled with 
Fro. 290._Haf; Plack dirt, and the eyes, nostrils, and mouth of a human 
ofilintflaker. face have been rudely incised on the under side of the butt 
and also blackened. All this carving is new and was done with the 
view of increasing the market value of the object. The original orna- 
mentation consists of an incised pattern on the upper surface of the 
butt, colored with red ocher which has turned black from age and dirt. 
