50 
muscles where the straps crossed to prevent chafing. Tump-lines across 
the forehead are in use at the present time and the custom is apparently 
quite old. The tump-line is not as common, however, as it is farther to 
the south, and is used to balance a load rather than to support it. 
It seems probable that only a century or two ago, dogs were not used 
as pack animals by Bear Lake Indians. During the spring and summer, 
dogs are used now as beasts of burden either in conjunction with canoes 
or without them. When travelling from one camp to another, the hunting 
canoes may be used if a series of lakes is followed, and if dogs are taken 
along they are generally packed to carry a share of the equipment. The 
dog packsacks are simply two bags with a single back which are thrown 
across the dog and fastened by a line that passes around the dog’s neck 
and crosses itself between the legs. 
Canoes. During the summer the Satudene rely chiefly upon water 
routes, formerly using canoes which were constructed of birch bark sewn 
over spruce frames. Their canoes were of two types, the Gitsi-tco, or 
large travelling canoe, and a small hunting canoe, Ela-ja. Specimens of 
these primitive canoes, now rare, were observed at the extreme end of 
McTavish bay, Great Bear lake. 
Gitsitco, or travelling canoe: the specimen of this type was 23 feet 
long and 4 feet beam at the widest point, tapering to the ends. Ribs about 
1 inch wide and 6 to 8 inches apart supported the outside covering, which 
was made up of five longitudinal rows of birch bark, one on the bottom 
and two on each side. The ends of this canoe were distinctly peaked, the 
canoe there attaining a depth of 32 inches, though rapidly lowering to a 
depth of 18 inches for the body of the canoe. There were six evenly 
distributed, crosswise struts about 2 inches wide. The gunwale was made 
with side pieces and with a flat piece on top about 2 inches wide and 1 inch 
thick. Lengthwise, lying loosely on the inside, were slats of wood about 
2 inches wide on the average, and from 1 to 10 feet long, which served to 
distribute the weight of the occupants. The sewing of the birch bark was 
done in the usual fashion by means of a simple diagonal stitch of split 
spruce root, the ends being inserted back under two or three stitches for 
fastening. The stitches were \ to \ inch long, and on the outside, under- 
neath the stitches of each overlapping section of birch bark, a length of 
root was inserted to tighten the sewing. Over all the sewing and junctions 
of the bark, a light coating of spruce gum was smeared for waterproofing. 
It was noted that of the patches that had been put on none had the 
inserted root under the stitches of the sewing. 
Elaja, or hunting canoe: this specimen was 17 feet long with a 
maximum beam of 2J feet. The greatest depth of the canoe was only 
14 inches, the ends being distinctly not raised. There were thirty ribs and 
five evenly spaced struts. On the floor of the canoe were 2-inch boards 
placed lengthwise, but not as many as in the travelling canoe, where these 
supporting boards extend part way up the sides of the vessel. The bark 
covering was made up of irregularly put together, rectangular sections of 
birch bark sewn in the usual fashion. 
Franklin (1828, page 21), on his second expedition, admired the Hare 
canoes, which he said were larger than those used by the Chipewyans 
and had the forepart covered with birch bark to fit them for navigation 
