ACEOSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA 



Two men then take the pelt in hand, and with a sharp 

 knife cut it into one long, even, white line, by commencing 

 at one end and cutting around and around until at length 

 the other end is reached. One skin in this way will make 

 three hundred feet of line. In this condition it is allowed to 

 partially dry, after which it is tightly stretched and dried 

 thoroughly in the sun. The result obtained is a hard, even 

 line, three-eighths of an 'inch in diameter, but equal in 

 strength to a three-inch manila rope. 



I have seen such a liue, when imbedded in the flesh of a 

 walrus at one end, and spiked to the hard ice at the other by 

 a stout iron pin, as well, as being held by six men, plough a 

 furrow six inches deep through the ice, bend the spike and 

 drag the six men to the edge of the ice, where the tug of war 

 ended, the walrus, victorious, taking the unbreakable line 

 with him into the deep. 



Smaller seal thongs, such as are extensively used as lash- 

 ings for komiticks, kyacks, handles, etc., are made in much 

 the same way as I have described, except that the hide of 

 smaller seals is used, and often the process of removing the 

 outer black skin is omitted, the hair being simply scraped off 

 with a sharp knife or scraper. 



Finer lines, such as those used for fishing, or for winding 

 whip-stocks, or thread for sewing purposes, are manufac- 

 tured from reindeer sinew. The best is that obtained from 

 along the spine, which is always saved from the carcase. It 

 is prepared for use by first drying and then rubbing till it 

 becomes quite soft, when it is readily frayed out into fine 

 fibres, in which condition it is used for fine needlework ; but 

 when coarser thread or stout cord is required, these individual 

 fibres are plaited together with wonderful neatness and 

 rapidity. One woman can make fifty or sixty yards of this 

 cord or thread in a day. 



With the Eskimos all joints of whatever kind are secured 

 bv these thongs, they having no nails or screws to supply their 



134 



