176 EXPLORATIONS IN THE FAR NORTH 



tunity, as they do not enjoy the experience of striking fire for 

 five minutes before getting the pipe alight, when the hands are 

 exposed to a temperature of 70 ° below zero. 



Work Bags. There is one, No. 9,614, in the collection, from 

 Chippewyan, that is rather unique in design. It is of the skin 

 of four swan's feet, two on each side, with a one inch strip of 

 mooseskin around the bottom. It is ornamented with tassels 

 of worsted attached by thongs covered with quills and beads. 

 It is 9 inches deep and 10 broad. 



Drum. The collection contains one drum, No. 10,829, from 

 Rae. The frame is of birch wood, 0.5 of an inch in thickness, 

 2.1 wide and 14 in diameter. The ends are scarfed together 

 and lashed with babiche. It is provided with two babiche lines 

 crossing each other at right angles by which it is held when in 

 use. The head is of caribouskin parchment. It contains one 

 grub hole and two cuts which have been sewed. It is fastened 

 near the rear margin of the frame by babiche, which passes 

 through holes which are in pairs at intervals of an inch and 

 a half, and over a band passing around the head. There are 

 three snares, two of twisted babiche, and a central one of thong. 

 The head is tightened by heating. The stick, which I saw used 

 for weeks before I obtained the drum, is a worm-eaten fir 

 branch with a slight natural curve. The bark is partly removed, 

 but the ends are broken and rough. It is 12 inches long and 

 0.5 in diameter. 



Sinew. The thread used in sewing moccasins and most of 

 the leather garments of the country is made from the broad 

 sinews of the back of the caribou. This is dried and the fibres 

 separated and twisted by the palm of the hand upon the knee 

 until a thread is formed of convenient length for use. The 

 rough sinew is usually carried and a small quantity of thread 

 made as it is used, or it is made in quantity and kept loosely 

 braided in plaits. A bundle of sinew, No. 9,636, in the collec- 

 tion from Grand Rapids, is of pale straw color. The threads 

 are from 20 to 24 inches long and somewhat larger than 

 coarse linen thread. One end tapers from about 6 inches to a 

 fine point which is used in lieu of a bristle in sewing with an 

 awl, a needle being seldom used. At present the only needles 

 in the country are the ordinary imported glovers' needles. 



Canoes. The collection contains but one model, No. 9,621, 



