80 



may safely concliule that it did not come into general nse until the absence 

 of woody fuel Avas made up for by abimdant supplies of oil and blubber 

 from the slaughter of sea-animals. Not only must there have been an 

 abundant supply for savage appetites, but there must have been an abun- 

 dant surplus to induce them, habituated to cold and exposure, to use such 

 valuable food as fuel. This had also an important bearing on the use of 

 half-subterranean houses, where light would be needed a large part of the 

 time in winter, and on the employment in mechanical and other labor of 

 time which would otherwise have been devoted to sleep or idleness. This 

 brings us to utensils of — 



Use in mechanic arts, cCc. 



The use of oil for lighting and cooking purposes necessitated a lamp 

 of some kind. All the Innuit use a lamp of similar construction. It bears 

 a slight resemblance to the ancient Greek lamp, being merely a saucer or 

 dish of stone or clay, witli a wick, usually of sphagnum, arranged along the 

 edge. Some Innuit tril)es have elaborated this conception, and form large 

 semi-lunar dishes of steatite for this purpose. Most of the tribes, however, 

 use a lamp entirely similar to that of the ancient Aleutian hunters, an oval 

 or circular shallow dish of stone or baked clay. 



Clay suitable for pottery is exceedingly rare in the Aleutian Islands, 

 and hence does not appear to have ever come into general use. No jwe- 

 historic pottery has ever been found there. Many of the continental Innuit, 

 however, make rude pots and cups, as well as lamps, of burned clay. 

 Tlie annexed figures show a typical stone lamp from Unalashka, and a 

 unique form from the upper beds. The latter was probably carved by some 

 storm-bound lu;nter in his temporary shelter, as it was broken in several 

 pieces when found, and had never been used. Fire other than in lamps 

 was never used in their houses by the early Aleuts, and even in historic 

 times the same is reported by the old voyagers, who say that when the 

 natives were cold they folded their long robes about them, "built a fire of 

 grass, and stood over it ". Small lamps a couple of inches in length are 

 sometimes found, siiggesting toys ; but these were carried in their kyaks by 

 the natives, who used them to warm themselves in winter, or when chilled 



