[89] FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 359 



Piece of blackskin. 



A small section of tough skin, termed " white-horse," cut from the 

 "bonnet" of a right- whale, invested with crustacean parasites, 

 the " barnacles " of the whalemen ; shows the ravages of cock- 

 roaches while on the vessel. Brought home as a curio. Lecgth, 

 8£ inches. New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1882. 57094. U. S. 

 Fish Commission. 



Shell hook. 



Shank made from the hinge of a pearl-bearing shell (Avicula mar- 

 garitifera) ; hook portion of border of probably the same spe- 

 cies, made fast to shank with a seizing of some vegetable fiber. 

 Length, 5 inches. New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1882. 68139. 

 IT. S. Fish Commission. Called " Kanaka hook" by whalemen, 

 the word " Kanaka" being vaguely and comprehensively ap- 

 plied to articles obtained from the islands of the South Pacific. 



Child's stockings. 



Sealskin, sewed with thread made from the sinews of the back of 

 the deer. Made and used by Eskimo, Hudson Bay. Length, 

 5 inches. New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1882. 68143. U. S. 

 Fish Commission. Obtained from crew of whaling brig 

 " George and Mary." 



Eye-protectors. 



Wood; two longitudinal slits; straps made from red cloth, used by 

 Eskimo, Hudson Bay, and American whalemen, to shield the 

 eyes from the glare of sun and snow. Length, 4-f inches. New 

 Bedford, Massachusetts, 1882. 68141. IT. S. Fish Commission. 

 Obtained from crew of whaling brig " George and Mary." 



Snow-knife. 



Long blade, said to be made from a whaleman's boarding-knife, the 

 original having been made from a navy cutlass. Handle, wal- 

 rus ivory. Length, 17^ inches. New Bedford, Massachusetts, 

 1882. 68125. tl. S. Fish Commission. Obtained from one of 

 the crew of whaling brig " George and Mary." Made and used 

 by Eskimo, Hudson Bay, for cutting out blocks of snow in 

 building igloos, as well as for cutting walrus meat. 



Idol. 



A species of the gourd family (Leginaria vulgaris), obtained by a 

 whaleman from a small island near the coast of New Guinea, 

 East Indies. As near as the captain of the vessel could under- 

 stand from the pantomimic gestures of the natives, it was wor- 

 shiped as an idol, and represented the " organs of generation, 

 or principle of life." — John H. Thomson. New Bedford, Mas- 

 sachusetts, 1882. 68138. Gift of John H. Thomson. 



