344 THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 
There is very little accessible detailed informtion regarding the 
umiaks used in the rest of Alaska. From Dall’s figure! and a few 
models in the Museum, the Norton Sound umiak appears to have the 
gunwales united at both stem and stern. Those that we saw at St. 
Michael’s in 1883, were so much modified by Russian ideas as to be 
wholly out of the line of comparison. The same is true of the Aleutian 
“baidara,” if, indeed, the latter be an umiak at all. 
TRAVELING ON FOOT. 
Snowshoes (tuiglu.)—Snowshoes of a very efficient pattern and very 
well made are now universally employed at Point Barrow. Although 
the snow never lies very deep on the ground, and is apt to pile up in 
hard drifts, it is sufficiently deep and soft in many places, especially on 
the grassy parts of the tundra, to make walking without snowshoes very 
inconvenient and fatiguing. Ihave even seen them used on the sea ice 
for crossing level spaces when a few inches of snow had fallen. Prae- 
tically, every man in the two villages, and many of the women and 
boys, have each their own pair of snowshoes, fitted to their size. Each 
shoe consists of a rim of light wood, bent into the shape of a pointed 
oval, about five times as long as the greatest breadth, aad much bent 
up at the rounded end, which is the toe. The sides are braced apart 
by two stout cross-bars (toe and heel bar) a little farther apart than the 
length of the wearer’s foot. The space between these two bars is net- 
ted in large meshes (foot netting) with stout thong for the foot to rest 
upon, and the spaces at the ends are closely netted with fine deerskin 
“babiche” (toe and heel netting). The straps for the foot are fastened 
to the foot netting in such a way that while the strap is firmly fastened 
round the ankle the snowshoe is slung to the toe. The wearer walks 
with long swinging strides, lifting the toe of the shoe at eaeh step, 
while the tail or heel drags in the snow. The straps are so contrived 
that the foot can be slipped in and out of them without touching them 
with the fingers, a great advantage in cold weather. When deer hunt- 
ing, according to Lieut. Ray, they take a long piece of thong and knot 
each end of it to the toe of one snowshoe. The bight is then looped 
into the belt behind so that the snowshoes drag out of the way of the 
heels. When they wish to put on the shoes they draw them up, insert 
their feet in the straps, and fasten the slack of the lines into the belt 
in front with a slip knot. When, however, they come to a piece of 
ground where snowshoes are not needed, they kick them off, slip the 
knots, and let them “drop astern.” 
We brought home three pairs of snowshoes, which represent very 
well the form in general use. No. 89912 [1736], Fig. 350, has been 
selected as the type. The rim is of willow, 51 inches long and 104 inches 
1 Alaska, p. 15. 
2 Twisted sinew is sometimes used. A pair of snowshoes from Point Barrow, owned by the writer, 
are netted with this material. 
