336 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1887. 



GLOSSARY OF TERMS. 



Amulets. Objects carried by hunters to bring good luck or to avoid bad. 

 Baby-seal hook. Used for dragging the baby seal from its snow concealment. 

 Bag fastener. A slip of ivory tied to the end of the string, which is wrapped 



around the bag and then thrust under the cord to keep all tight. 

 Bailer, ice. A sieve on the end of a handle to clear seal hole of small ice. 

 Brush, ice. An implement similarly used. 



Bark-skinner. A knife and curved bone to cut and remove birch bark. 

 Bead separator. Ivory bars placed at intervals in bead-work, and pierced, to hold 



the thread on which the beads are strung. 

 Berils. Bone tools to round the edges of ivory or bone implements. 

 Blood-pins. Used to close the wonnds in dead animals, to save The blood for f»od. 

 Boot-sole creaser. A crimper used to prepare the seam before sewing. 

 Bridge. A small curved wedge used to tighten sinew on bows. 

 Check on drag-line. An ivory slip to keep noose close to object inclosed. 

 Check on whale-line. A friction check to cave the hand from chafing when the 



line is running out. 

 Combs for grass. Used to hackle grass. 

 Decoys. The seal is inquisitive, and any strange noise or object, which does not 



frighten, will attract it and bring it into the snare. 

 Decoy float. Float on a net carved to resemble a bird, animal or simply a rattle. 

 Decoy scratcher. A claw used near net or seal hole to attract seal ; imitation of 



male seal. 

 Detacher for harpoon point. An ivory double button, on one of which the loop 



of the point-line is fixed, but which allows it to slip off when the point strikes. 

 Drag chain or handle. Used with a cord and noose to drag game on the ice. 

 Finger-masks. Small articles of wood ornamented with hair or feathers 

 Finger- rest. A check for the finger to rest against. 

 Fire-bit. A soft wood spindle, which is rapidly revolved to produce fire. 

 Fire mouth-piece. A wooden piece held in the teeth. This has a stone bearing for 



the upper end of the fire-bit. 

 Fire-socket. Soft wood stick, on which the fire-bit is revolved, producing fire. 

 Fish bait. Small ivory fish or bright-colored material, used as bait. 

 Float. The skin of a seal blown up to sustain the walrus line and act as a drag. 

 Float mouth- piece. The orifice through which the air enters or escapes. 

 Float plug. A disk, with a groove around it, used to close natural or accidental 



holes in seal float. 

 Fungus. Used to mix with tobacco for smoking. 

 Gambling block and pin. A game similar to " cup and ball." 

 Gambling ducks. A game similar to " heads and tails." 

 Gambling counters. A game similar to " odd and even." 

 Gambling target and lance. Each participant puts up a wager; the target, a 



netted oval ring, is hung in the air and the lance is thrown at it. If the point 



gets entaugled the thrower has a choice of the wager laid out. 

 Harpoon point. The outer section carrying the blade. 

 Harpoon loose shaft. The intermediate shaft. 

 Harpoon foreshaft. The bone or ivory socket on wooden shafts. 

 Harpoon butt. The lower extremity usually shod with a pike to give a hold on ice. 

 Hunting tally. A bone or ivory stick on which to mark number of game. 

 Ice-creepers. Rough pieces to tie on sole of boot. 

 Kayak suits. Two kinds of jackets for fair and foul weather. 

 Knife, blubber. With heavy blade like a cleaver. 

 Knife, cutting. Defense knife. 

 Knife, carving. To cut and carve wood or ivory. 



