12 
REIKEVIG BAY. 
they were highly pleased, and even boys of four¬ 
teen or fifteen years of age held out their hands 
for a piece of tobacco, whilst I was dividing some 
amongst the men. They invited us in their turns 
to partake of their snuff, but when they presented 
their boxes, we were at a loss how to get at a 
pinch; for their boxes * are shaped generally 
like a small flask, with an extremely narrow neck 
and mouth, which is stopped by a plug or peg 
of wood, fastened by its upper end to the neck 
of the box by means of a piece of string. The 
sides are carved with ornaments of various kinds, 
and inlaid very neatly with brass or silver; at 
the bottom, by means of a larger hole, which is 
closed by a screw, the snuff is admitted into the 
box, and our pilots soon showed us their method 
of getting it out for use, which was, by holding 
their heads back, and inserting into one of their 
nostrils the mouth of the box; when, by two or 
three gentle shakes, a sufficient quantity is ad¬ 
mitted into the nose, to produce the desired effect. 
Nothing more was then required, but to wipe 
away the superfluous particles from the nose, by 
drawing the back of the hand across it. How- 
* Their shape might, perhaps, be more aptly compared to 
a pair of bellows in miniature, or to an English pounce- 
box, some of which l have seen with flat sides considerably 
like them, but smaller. The middle part of an Icelandic 
snuffbox is made of wood, the neck and screw of brass. 
