408 ORNAMENTS. MUSIC. GAMES. 



The dress of the women does not differ much from that of 

 the men. 



Their principal ornaments are "labrets," or pieces of 

 polished stone or bone, which are worn in the lower lip or 

 cheeks. The hole is made in early infancy, and gradually 

 enlarged by a series of "guides."* These "labrets," how- 

 ever, are not worn by the Eastern tribes. According to 

 Richardson they are in use from Behrings Straits to the 

 Mackenzie River, f The other ornaments consist of strips 

 of variously colored fur, and fringes of pierced teeth, 

 generally those of the fox or wolf. Among the Esquimaux 

 visited by Capt. Lyon, the ornaments were all appropriated* 

 by the men.J Some of the tribes are in the habit of tattoo- 

 ing themselves. 



The men hunt and fish. They make the weapons and 

 implements, and prepare the woodwork of the boats. The 

 women are the cooks, they prepare the skins, and make 

 the clothes. They also repair the houses, tents, and boats, 

 the men doing only carpenter's work. Though they do 

 not appear to be very harshly treated, still the women 

 have certainly "a hard and almost slavish life of it," 

 although perhaps after all not more so than the men. 



The Esquimaux are not altogether without music. They 

 have a kind of drum, and sing both alone and in chorus. 

 They are acquainted with several kinds of games, || both of 

 strength and skill, and are fond of dances, which are often 

 very indecent. One of their games resembled our cat's- 

 cradle,^f and Kane saw the children in Smith's Sound play- 

 ing hockey on the ice. The Esquimaux have also a great 

 natural ability for drawing. In many cases they have made 



* Vancouver's Voyage, yol. ii., p. 280; see also p. 408 ; Belcher, I.e. p. 141. 

 f Arctic Expedition, vol. i., p. 355. J Lyon's Journal, p. 314. 



Crantz, p. 164. || Egede, I.e. p. 162. 



U Hall, I.e. vol. ii., p. 316. 



