322 THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 
end of the strap is cut narrow, passed through the bead, and knotted on 
theend. This case carries a half-dozen of the old-fashioned bone needles, 
which appear to be genuine. It is 3-7 inches long and, roughly speak- 
ing, 0-4 in diameter. No. 89369 [1201], also from Utkiavwin, resembles 
the above, but has a wolverine’s toe sewed to the end of the strap. No. 
89371 [1276], from Utkiavwin, also has the toe of a wolverine for a knob, 
and has a belt hook with two tongues made of reindeer antler. No. 
89366 [1137], from Utkiavwin, is a highly ornamented case of this 
pattern, which has a short cylindrical knob, also ornamented. No. 
89368 [1089], from Utkiavwin, is not made of bird’s bone, but is a piece 
of a long bone from some mamial, and has a brown bear’s toe for a 
knob. No, 89367 [1339], from the same village, is roughly made of a 
branch of antler, 3-9 inches long and 0:8 wide, hollowed out. It has a 
knob of whale’s bone, but no belt hook, the end of the strap being knotted 
into a leather thimble of the first pattern. Of the six specimens of this 
pattern in the collection only the first is a genuine old implement. AIL 
the others are merely commercial imitations rather carelessly made. 
This kind of needle case is very commonly used throughout Alaska, 
as iS Shown by the enormous collections in the National Museum brought 
home by various explorers, Nelson, Turner, Dall and others. The needle 
ease from Iglulik, figured by Capt. Lyon,' resembles the second or older 
pattern, being of bone, not tapered at the ends, and having neither knob 
nor belt hook. To the ends of the strap are hung thimbles ‘‘and other 
small articles liable to be lost.”? Dr. Simpson* speaks of the needle case 
in use at Point Barrow, but merely describes it as ‘‘a narrow strip of 
skin in which the needles are stuck, with a tube of bone, ivory, or iron 
to slide down over them, and kept from slipping off the lower end by a 
knob or large bead.” This appears to refer only to the second or older 
pattern. 
The old-fashioned ring thimbles were usually carried on the belt hook 
of the needlecase, but modern thimbles require a box. These boxes 
(kigiuny), which are usually small and cylindrical, also serve for holding 
thread, beads, and all sorts of little trinkets or knickknacks, and many 
of them are so old that they were evidently used for this purpose long 
before the introduction of metal thimbles. Little tin canisters, spice 
boxes, etc., are also used for the same purpose nowadays. We brought 
home thirteen of these boxes, of which No, 89407 [1158] Fig. 329a has been 
chosen as the type. It is a piece of the beam of a stout antler, 4-3 inches 
long, cut off square on the ends and hollowed out. Into the large end 
is fitted a flat bottom of thin pine, fastened in by four little treenails of 
wood. ‘The cover is of the same material. It is held on by a string of 
sinew braid about 11 inches long, which passes out through the lower 
of the two little holes on one side of the box, being held by a knot at 
! Parry's Second Voyage, pl. opposite p. 550, Fig. 25. 
2 Thid., p. 537. 
8Op. cit, p. 245. 
