Ethnographical collections from East Greenland. 



481 



In Alaska the Eskimo use hand strap-drills in addition to bow- 

 drills, especially to bore large holes ^). Among the East Eskimo I 

 only know bow-drills for boring holes (but strap-drills in making 

 fire). There is no definite proportion between the length of the bow 

 and the stick, but the point (now of iron, formerly of stone or bone) 

 of the latter is formed differently according as it is to be used for 

 boring large or small holes (cf. p. 486). 



Finger and knee protectors (p. 40), used by the men when 

 working iron and wood, are only known from Ammassalik. The 



Fig. 194. 



Fig. 193. 

 Knee protectors made of wood. (Holm coll. and Thalbitzer coll.). 'I2 



finger protectors or thimbles (tikkili pooän) are boot-shaped bags of 

 hard skin, which fit on to the end of the thumb. They are as a 

 rule finely ornamented with embroidery. In fig. 192 we have two 

 types, single and double, all with the opening upwards, a viewed 

 from the side, b and с from the front. Ь is of a special form, the 

 front part being prolonged upward like a white shield with black 

 embroidery of fine sinew treads. The other side (back) has no 

 embroidery, being the protecting side towards the edge of the knife. 

 The knee protectors are made of wood, like the knee-cap in 

 shape. They are held in position by means of skin thongs round 

 the leg. There are signs of wear on both the specimens illustrated 

 here (figs. 193—194). 



1) Nelson (1899) p. 81. Murdoch (1892) p. 180. 

 XXXIX. 



31 



