14 b 



Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 



The Mackenzie and Copper Eskimos proceed in the same way as above up 

 to the stage immediately preceding the navahoing of the thumbs. At that 

 point, instead of navahoing, they drop the thumb loops. A large loop then 

 hangs pendent near each hand on the proximal side of all the strings. 



Pass each thumb down on the proximal side of all the strings, and from the 

 distal side {i.e. from below) pass it into the nearer of these two loops; then 

 with each thumb from the proximal side take up the radial index string of its 

 hand. Navaho the thumbs and drop the index loops. You have "the two 

 bears." 



II. The Two (Javes (Mackenzie delta) 



The movements in this figure are the same as for "the two bears" as pro- 

 duced in the Mackenzie, only, in the final stage, instead of passing the thumbs 

 into the pendent loops from the distal side, insert them from the proximal side. 

 Continue as before. You have "the two caves." 



A Baillie island native made this same figure by a slightly different method. 

 He proceeded as in the Barrow form of "the two bears" up to the stage where 

 in that figure you katilluik the thumbs. At that point he removed the right 

 thumb loop with the left thumb from the distal side, then with the back of the 

 right thumb {i.e. from the distal side) removed from under it the original left 

 thumb loop. Finally with each thumb he took up the radial index string of 

 that hand, navahoed the thumbs and dropped the index loops. The difference 

 between this method and the preceding is very slight. 



Fig. 4 



"The two caves" can be readily made in the same way as the Barrow and 

 Inland natives make "the two brown bears," by a slight variation in the first 

 movement (Opening A). Instead of taking up the palmar string with the 

 indices from the proximal side with their backs, take them up with their palms 

 from the distal side and in returning give them a half-turn outwards. Then 

 proceed exactly as in "the two brown bears." I do not know whether the Barrow 

 natives, however, are aware of the figure. 



