Eskimo String Figures 



73 b 



LX. A Small Boat 



This is the figure given by Dr. Gordon from Diomede Island, where he says 

 it bears the name of "Kochlinee," and means "a Siberian house." A Port 

 Clarence native called it umegcat, "a small boat," and an Inland Eskimo from 

 behind Barrow gave it the same name. Both knew the development into "two 

 men" (m^uk). 



The Inland native sang the following chant with the first figure: 



umeacat qatqoqd tdnmaydci 



and the people in the boat reply: 

 tanmayukcuilayut 



After which the chant continues: 



Little boat down there, are you stopping 

 to camp? 



We don't intend to camp. 



cunik qaqlaq cumk tdyiaqXuymk ? ? ? ? ? 

 iqcivKutikyoq avanmun Being afraid, it is said, in opposite 



aulalaqtuk directions they went away. 



Fig. 81 



LXI. Two Bkown Bears Issuing Fkom Two Caves Below a Mountain 



The Inland natives of North Alaska, from whom this figure was learnt, give 

 it the above name (aklak acikm dniruk). It is an altogether different figure 

 from "the two caves" known to the Mackenzie natives (see No. II), but greatly 

 resembles the last figure, "a small boat," in its movements. 



Opening A. 



Push the hands from the distal side through the thumb loops, thereby 

 converting the ulnar thumb string into the proximal radial index string. 



Pass the thumbs distal to the proximal radial index string and take up the 

 distal ulnar little finger string from the proximal side and draw it through. 



With the right thumb and index take hold of the radial left thumb string, 

 release the left thumb and reinsert it into its loops from the distal side. Do the 

 same with the right thumb. 



Carefully turn the palms downwards, and, passing the thumbs down on the 

 proximal side of all the strings, pressing their ulnar strings before them, take 

 up with, them from the proximal side the ulnar wrist (the proximal ulnar little 

 finger) string and return. 



