MURDOCH. ] BLUBBER HOOKS, ETC. 311 
The whole is old and weathered and rather greasy about the prong and 
the tip of the pole. 
Fig. 312 (No. 89836 [1203] from Utkiavwiti) isa similar hook with a 
short handle, 34 inches long, for use on land. The crook is 
made by bending the handle. The prong, of walrus ivory as 
before, is 7 inches long, and held on by two stout lashings of 
whalebone, which pass round the end of the handle instead of 
through it. The prong and tip of the handle are very greasy. 
No. 89837 [1353], from the same village, is a similar hook 
rather rudely made. The crook is bent only at an angle of 
about 45°, and there ig somewhat of a twist to the whole han- 
dle. The prong, which is of antler, is 72 inches long and shoul- ye Hl § 
dered at the butt like that of the long hook described. It is 
fastened on by two thick lashings of stout seal thong passing 
around prong and handle and kept from slipping by notches 
in the latter, and on the butt end of the former and by a large 
flat-headed brass stud driven into the prong below the upper 
lashing. p 
Fish scaler.—Fig. 315 (No. 89461 [1279] from Utkiavwin) rep- 
resents a little implement which we never saw in use, but which 
we were told was intended for scraping the scales off a fish. 
The specimen does not appear to be newly made. It is a piece 
of hollow “long” bone, 8 inches long, cut into the shape of the 
blade of a case knife, flat on one face with a broad, shallow, 
longitudinal groove on the other. 
MAKING AND WORKING FIBER. 
Twisting and braiding—We had no opportunity of seeing the yp. 313 — 
process of twisting the sinew twine, which is sometimes used Fish sealer. 
in place of the braid so often mentioned but more generally when an 
extra strong thread is desired, as in sewing on boot soles. Fig. 314 (No. 
89431 [1332] from Utkiavwin) is a little shuttle of walrus ivory, 3 inches 
long and 14 broad, which we were told was used in this 
process. The body of this shuttle is reduced to a. narrow 
crosspiece, and the prongs at one end are twice as long as 
those at the other. The tips of the long prongs are about 4 
inch apart, while those of the short ones nearly meet. There 
“| is a small round hole in one side of the body. This speci- 
| men was made for sale. As well as I could understand the 
J seller, the ends of several strands of fine sinew were fas- 
tened into the hole in the shuttle and twisted by twisting 
it with one hand, while the other end was held perhaps by 
Fic. 314.Ivory the other hand. The part twisted was then wound on the 
shuttle. shuttle and a fresh length twisted. This would be a very 
simple form of spinning with a spindle. 
No special implements for twisting have been described among other 
‘\ 
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