Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 33.djvu/399

Rh A camp was made at the head-waters of the Ik-pik-puk, and runners were sent ahead to the village below to announce our arrival—this being the usual custom. Early the next morning dogs came to help our worn-out animals, and at noon we reached the village, where one hundred and fifty Indians were encamped waiting for the river to break up. We had evidently been expected—a place having been reserved for us—and while the new-comers rested, the women unharnessed and fed the dogs, pitched our tents, and prepared food. In the center of the village was a great dance house, where the men gathered to work during the day, and dance at night. They are very fond of this amusement, sometimes continuing it the night through. Some of the dances are pretty, the motions being graceful, but they soon become monotonous. The music is produced by from four to ten "tom-toms," upon which they beat time, while shouting at the top of their voices a rude monotone. Men, women, and children all dance—often continuing until they drop from exhaustion. The first things taught children are to dance, shoot the bow and arrow, and to smoke. It is a common occurrence to see a mother take the child from her breast and give it her pipe.

At this time—the last of May—we had quantities of berries. They had ripened during the last season; the snow had preserved them through the winter, and was now melting sufficiently to expose the bushes. While waiting for the river to break up, the men busied themselves in repairing the old and making new boat frames. Their boats are of two kinds: the kayak or one-man boat, and the oomiak, a large boat capable of carrying a ton. The frames for these boats are whittled entirely by hand. After they are thus made and fitted, they are securely lashed with whalebone strips, and are then ready for their covers. The oomiaks are covered with seal or walrus skins, five to seven of which form a cover. The kayaks are covered with deer-skin, the skins being first soaked and scraped. These covers, which had been cached all winter, were now taken out and buried beneath the melting snow, to render them soft and pliable.

The women were busy currying deer-skins for clothing, and making twine for fish-nets. The native tanning consists of scraping the dried skin thoroughly with an instrument made by putting a piece of flint-rock in a wooden handle, so curved as to fit the hand perfectly. The stone is chipped at one end, so as to make a rough, sharp edge. After scraping, it is rubbed with a soft stone resembling pumice, which whitens and softens it. The finished skin looks and feels like chamois. The twine with which they sew is made from the sinews of the deer, which are dried and torn in shreds, and these are twisted together, making a very strong cord. This is used for making nets also, any required strength