424 W. Thalbitzer 



which appears to be quite like this Greenland type^). According to 

 Egede the West Greenlanders have formerly been accustomed to sit 

 on a one-legged stool (iterrut)^), whilst placing the feet on a three- 

 legged stool ^). Far to the north, at the entrance of Scoresby Sound 

 (Cape Tobin), Amdrup found two stools with quite low legs*), 

 obviously corresponding to the one mentioned by Egede, and similar 

 stools have been found at several places in North-east Greenland. At 

 Smith Sound in North Greenland we meet with a quite similar, 

 three-legged stool, "covered with bear-skin below to prevent its 

 sliding or making a noise, which would frighten away the animal" 

 (Kroeber)^). I have not found this stool mentioned as being used by 

 the Central Eskimo — in an illustration of a seal-hunter on the watch 

 in Boas, he is seen sitting on an ice-blook^) — but in Alaska at 

 Point Barrow the three-legged type is well-known (Murdoch)^). 



In the central regions north of Hudson Bay and far to the west we 

 find some smaller implements connected with the hunting on the ice which 

 have not so far been found in Greenland. Both Lyons and Parry mention 

 from Winter Island and Iglulik two "minor instruments of the ice-hunting," 

 namel}^ a long bone feeler for plumbing any cracks and holes through 

 which seals are suspected of breathing, and a contrivance for warning the 

 hunter who is watching a seal-hole, when the animal rises to the surface^]. 

 Amundsen has a description of more recent date of the same instruments 

 which he saw in use among the natives of King William Land and Boothia 

 Felix (the Ugjulik- and Netchillik-Eskimo)^). From Point Barrow in Alaska 

 the same implements are described by Murdoch as "seal indicators" and he 

 states that they are not known farther west^°). 



The harpoon heads (p. 46) are pointed toggles, made at Ammas- 

 salik as elsewhere either of bone (ivory) all in one piece or of bone 

 wàth an inset blade of stone, iron or bone^^). There is a distinct 



1) Murdoch (1892) pp. 255—256. 



-*) Egede: Dictionarium p. 54; Fabricius p. 142. 



'1 Hans Egede fl741) p. 35. 



^) Tlialbitzer (1909) pp. 427—435, figs. 38 and 39. 



■=■) Kroeber (1899) pp. 269—270, fig. 1. 



«) Boas (1888) p. 478, fig. 399. 



'; Mason 1900; p. 210, fig. 8. Murdoch Г1892) fig. 256. 



«) Lyons (pp. 326—327. Parry (1824). pp. 510 (and fig. 17). 



") Amundsen fl909) pp. 265 — 268 (with illustrations). This author gives the names 

 of the two instruments, namely, iUa(l) of tlie first mentioned, and kiviutchervi 

 of the latter, probabh' connected with the Greenland qiwio 'a down' qiwiutserfik 

 'place f\. e. instrument! which is provided with a down.' Parry seems to have 

 considered these two instruments as one and assigns a common name to them: 

 keijjkultuk 'instrument of bone for discovering seals under ice' (1. с pp. 510 

 and 5ü3j. 

 ^") Murdoch (1892) p. 255, figs. 255 a and b. 



") The use of bone as material for such blades in harpoon heads is also known 

 from Alaska. Nelson (lS99i p. 146. 



