178 



GRINNELL 



PLOVER BAY ESKIMO. 



They occupy caverns in the cliffs, and reach and leave 

 their homes from stagings built out over the water on 

 poles fastened into the rifts in the rock. 

 It is said that it is impossible for them 

 to land on the island in stormy weather; 

 although they can drop into their canoes 

 at such a time, they cannot get from 

 them. The King Island Eskimo are 

 reported to be of great stature, and the 

 men to wear labrets. The women are 

 said to equal if not excel the men in 

 size and strength. It is also said that 

 y | 4 here in a deep cavern running back 

 jy.y from the canyon there is a great bank 

 of perpetual snow, which the Eskimo 

 use for storing their meat and fish, which 

 thus is preserved indefinitely. The King Island village is 

 said to be a large one, consisting of nearly 200 people. 

 Although the ship passed within sight of the island it 

 was unfortunately not found practicable to visit it. 



At Port Clarence, the next point visited after leaving 

 Plover Bay, a large number of Eskimo were found en- 

 camped on the beach, having come there to trade with the 

 whalers and to hire out to them for the coming cruise in 

 the Arctic. When we reached our anchorage, several 

 Eskimo umiaks came 

 out to us to trade, and 

 before long ten of 

 these great boats con- 

 taining, according to 

 a count by the math- 

 ematician of the ship, 

 more than 175 per- 

 sons, were alongside, 

 color of the dried skin, and were filled with people, some 



ESKIMO DISH CARVED FROM VERTEBRA OF WHALE. 



The boats were bright yellow, the 



