514 W. Thalbitzer 



the usual lancet-shaped type (circular cross section). Fig. 236 (Peter- 

 sen coll.) is an unusually large and beautifully ornamented bodkin 

 also made of ivory (narwhal). Fig. 237 is a lancet-shaped bodkin of 

 ivory, found at the "dead house." Amdrup found here four bodkins, 

 almost cylindrical at the top, biconvex at the base and with median 

 ridge on the lateral surfaces. The one figured here has at the top 

 a small transverse hole for a hanging strap. 



BoNE-NEEDLES FOR SEWING witli eyes In tlie liead and pointed ends were 

 common everywhere among the Eskimo before ttiey came into contact with 

 the Europeans. I have previously determined a needle found by Amdrup 

 far north near Cape Borlase Warren as a sewing needle made of ivory, and 

 referred to similar needles known from Alaska'). As mentioned by Mur- 

 doch, Cranz speaks of bone needles being used in former times by the 

 Greenlanders, Kumlien by the people from Baffin Land, Parrj^ by the Iglu- 

 likers. Murdoch and Nelson liave several figures of bone -needles from 

 Alaska ^). I have now ascertained that Ellis mentions similar needles from 

 Resolution Island in Hudson Straits. He relates that the people generally 

 have ver}' neatly sewn clothes which they make with an ivory needle using 

 reindeer-sinews as thread^). Boas also has a figure showing primitive needle- 

 cases containing bone-needles. In tlie West Greenland tale about "the Girl 

 who fled to the Inland Dwellers," her flight was actually caused by her 

 breaking her elder sister's needle, which was "made of reindeer-horn and 

 very valuable."*) 



Various types of needle-cases of bone (ivory) have been found in all 

 the Eskimo districts but up to the present time not near Ammassalik. 

 Further north on the east coast Amdrup found two characteristic needle- 

 cases of the Greenland 1зфе, which may be traced across Ponds Bay to the 

 region near Southampton Island in Hudson Bay^). As previously pointed 

 out by me''), this implement has a wide distribution from the Lapps in north- 

 ern Scandinavia to the Amur district of Siberia; we maj' therefore conclude, 

 that it has come to the Eskimo from the west by the Bering Straits. — The 

 bone-toggles fastening the skin-strap that goes through the tube of the case 

 have also been found far north on the east coast, being of the same kaiak- 

 shape as known from Baffin Land, i. e. broadest in the middle where the 

 hole for the strap is found and tapering towards both ends. Further west 

 the shapes are different'). 



Bodkins, needles, wound-plugs, marlinspikes, boot-sole creasers 

 and marrow extractors all made of bone or ivor}^ are formally rel- 

 ated implements, though there is a sharp distinction in their different 



') Thalbitzer (1909) p. 492. 



■=) Murdoch (1892) pp. 318 321, figs. 325—326 and 328; Nelson (1899) p. lOG, 



PI. XLVIII b. 

 ■■') Ellis (1750) p. 143. 

 ■•) Rink (18(i6) p. 149. 

 f') Boas (1908) pp. 32(5-327; (1888) p. 523; (1901 -1907; p. 94, fig. 13(5 and pp. 432 — 



434, fig. 234. Nelson Il899i pp. 103-103, PI. XLIV. 

 6) Thalbitzer (1909, pp. 420—424, figs. 35 and 56; (1911) pp. 38-42. 

 •) Koldewey 1874) p. 605, fig. 19 fc. Cf. Boas (1901) p. 94, fig. 136, and (1888) p. 523, 



fig. 472. Ti)e material of llie (ijøa E.xpedition in Cliristiania e. g. inv. nos. 



15701-15703). 



