360 THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 
the region about Pitlekaj, however, the dogs are harnessed “tandem” 
in pairs, as is the case at Norton Sound, where a more efficient har- 
ness is also used, which is probably not Eskimo, but learned from the 
whites.!. Nordenski6ld? expresses the opinion that the Eskimo method 
of harnessing the dogs abreast indicates that the Eskimos have lived 
longer than the Chukchis north of the limit of trees; in other words, 
that the method of harnessing the dogs tandem is the older one, and 
that the Eskimo have learned to harness them abreast since they left 
the woodland regions. I can hardly agree with these conclusions, for 
it seems to me that the easiest and most natural method of attaching 
the dogs would be to fasten each directly to the sled by its own trace. 
Now, when many dogs are attached to the sled in this way, the outer 
dogs can not apply their strength in a direct line but must pull obliquely, 
and, moreover, as we know to be the case, so many long traces are 
constantly becoming entangled, and each individual dog has to be kept 
straight by the driver. If, however, the dogs be made fast to a long 
line, one behind the other, not only does each pull straight ahead, but 
if the leader be kept to the track he pulls the other dogs after him, re- 
lieving the driver of the greater part of the care of them. 
It seems to me therefore, that the tandem method is an improvement 
in dog harnessing, which has been adopted only by the natives of 
northeastern Siberia, and northwestern America, and has no connection 
with the wooded or unwooded state of the country.° 
HUNTING SCORES. 
The only thing that we saw of the nature of numerical records were 
the series of animals engraved upon ivory, already alluded to. In most 
“ases we were unable to learn whether the figures really represented 
an actual record or not, though the bag handle, No. 89424 [890] 
already figured, was said to contain the actual score of whales killed 
by old Yt’/ksima. The custom does not appear to be so prevalent 
as at Norton Sound (see above, p. 117). Many of these possible scores 
being engraved on ivory implements have already been described. 
With one exception they only record the capture of whales or reindeer. 
The exception (No, 89425 [1732], Fig. 153) presents a series of ten 
bearded seals. The reindeer are usually depicted in a natural attitude, 
and some of the circumstances of the hunt are usually represented. 
For instance, a man is figured aiming with a bow and arrow toward a 
a line of reindeer, indicating that such a number were taken by shoot- 
ing, while a string of deer, represented without legs as they would ap- 
ISee Dall, Alaska, pp. 163 and 166. 
2Vega, vol. 2, p. 95, foot note. 
3 For descriptions of the sledges and methods of harnessing used by the eastern Eskimo, see Bessel’s 
Naturalist, vol. 18, pt. 9, p. 868, figs. 4 and 5 (Smith Sound); Kane, 2d Grinnell Exp., vol. 1, p. 205 
(Smith Sound) and first Grinnell Exp., p. 448 (Greenland); Kumlien, Contributions, p. 42, and Boas, 
“Central Eskimo, '' pp. 529-538 (Cumberland Gulf) ; Parry, 2d voyage, p. 514, and Lyon, Journal, p. 
235 (Iglulik); Gilder, Schwatka’'s Search, pp. 50, 52, and 66, and Schwatka’s ‘‘ Nimrod in the North,” 
pp. 152, 153 (NW. shore of Hudson Bay and King Williams Land). 
