Page:Material Culture of the Iglulik Eskimos.djvu/110
by two sloping beams and a vertical piece of antler. In the stern of the boat are two thwarts and in the bows three pairs of oblique stays from keel to gunwale; the middle pair support a thwart. At each side there is a rowlock, consisting of a vertical pin jutting above the gunwhale and covered with skin. At the stern a long antler, the lower end of which is fastened to the thwart, forms a fork for the steering oar; the fork itself is covered with walrus skin lashed on with sinew-cord. On the whole the various parts of the frame are held together by seal-thong lashings, although a number of nails have been used and on one gunwale there is a large piece of iron mounting fastened on with screws. Covered with three unhaired, bearded-seal skins, the seams being tightened with blubber.
In former days two kayaks tied together were used as ferries over open water. At Repulse Bay I saw a man row ashore from an island on five inflated harpoon bladders fastened together, with a board laid across the top.
As a consequence of the roving life they lead, the Eskimos have a surprising knowledge of their land. When caribou hunting especially, they travel far and wide and on such occasions they take notice of all the details of the otherwise so monotonous landscape. This is necessary, if they are to be able to find the caches of meat and skin later in the winter, and they are able to explain to other Eskimos where these places are, so that the latter can find them with certainty, even if they have never been at the place previously. If a man is about to travel on a course which he has never followed before, it is described to him by another and in most cases he can then find his way along it. Much frequented routes through undiversified country are often marked by cairns — usually merely a stone set on end at prominent points; this is true, for instance, of the land passage from Cape Wilson to Usugarssuk on the main road from Iglulik to Repulse Bay. It is rarely that an Eskimo on a journey goes astray; of course it does happen that when it is snowing, or a blizzard is blowing, or in the dark, he cannot find his bearings; but when conditions improve he can almost always find his way again.
Most of the Iglulik Eskimos know two of the three principal areas of which their country is made up (Southampton Island, being a recent acquisition, is not included), and many of them know all three. On page 22 statistics have already been given of the topographical knowledge of the Tununermiut. As a rule it is the most skilful hunters and travellers who know most of the country. At