Full resolution (JPEG)
- On this page / på denna sida
- I. The Eskimo tribes, their common origin, their dispersion and their diversities in general
- Inventions for procuring the necessary means of subsistence
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has been proofread at least once.
(diff)
(history)
Denna sida har korrekturlästs minst en gång.
(skillnad)
(historik)
Inventions for procuring
the necessary means of subsistence.
Of the contrivances here in question THE KAYAK WITH ITS
APPERTENANT IMPLEMENTS AND WEAPONS no doubt occupies the
first rank. The Inland Eskimo of Alaska like his Indian neighbours
carries on his fishery in the rivers by means of his BIRCHBARK
CANOE. In settling at the river-moulh he has exchanged the
birchbark for sealskin to cover the wooden framework of his
skiff and at the same time furnish it with a deck to protect it
against the waves of the sea. This is simply the origin of the
kayak, but only in its first stage of development. The deck
alone thus procured was not sufficient; the sea washing over it
would soon fill the kayak through the hole, in which its
occupant is sitting, if his clothing did not at the same time close
the opening around him. This ADAPTION OF THE CLOTHING is
tried by degrees in various ways throughout the Eskimo
countries, but it does not attain its perfection except in Greenland
where it forms in connection with the kayak itself a watertight
cover for the whole body excepting the face. Only in that
country it enables the kayaker to be capsized or so to speak
being rolled unhurt by the waves, while in Alaska it serves as
much to protect him against rain as against the sea.
The second necessary implement, THE DOUBLE-BLADED PADDLE
of which the middle part makes the handle, in the same way
makes its appearance very gradually. In Southern Alaska it
is unknown among the Eskimo proper who have continued to
use the onebladed Indian canoe paddle; it is not until we are
north of the Yukon river that we find the first specimens of it,
but still accompanied by the other, even on the same kayak.
At Point Barrow the onebladed paddle still serves for ordinary
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Project Runeberg, Wed Apr 17 00:06:03 2024
(aronsson)
(diff)
(history)
(download)
<< Previous
Next >>
https://runeberg.org/eskimotrib/0026.html
