. Annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution . he Eskimo ofHudson strait, is the umiak, referred to by most writers as the womansboat. This appellation is not more applicable than would be the termfamily boat. Tlie women use the boat alone only on rare o<!casions, andthen in quiet water and ior short distances. Men are nearly always init, and under the suitlii*^* of one of these, the boat is used for longjourneys. The form of the umiak, in the region under consideration, (liftersgreatly from tliat of the Eskimo of ISering sea. (See Pig. 59, from
. Annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution . he Eskimo ofHudson strait, is the umiak, referred to by most writers as the womansboat. This appellation is not more applicable than would be the termfamily boat. Tlie women use the boat alone only on rare o<!casions, andthen in quiet water and ior short distances. Men are nearly always init, and under the suitlii*^* of one of these, the boat is used for longjourneys. The form of the umiak, in the region under consideration, (liftersgreatly from tliat of the Eskimo of ISering sea. (See Pig. 59, from amodel.) The size of the boat is variable according to tlio means of the builderaiul the size of the fainily to be conveyed in it. The length of the keelis from 10 to 25 feet. Over all tlie length is 1 or 2 feet greater than onthe keel. It will be thus seen that the ends are nearly is diilicult to determine at tlie first glance which is the bow and whichthe stern, so nearly alike are tliey. Tliey only differ in the former be-iug somewhat wider at the upper edge or FiQ. 59. Eskimo umiak. The keel is a straight ])iece of wood hewed from a single stick, nearly4 inclies sqiuire. The stem and stern posts are nearly alike, the latterhaving but little slope, and are cut from curved or crooked stems oftrees. A tree may be found, which, when hewed, will form the stern-post and keel in one length. Otherwise tlie fore and aft posts haveplaces cut out for tlie insertion of the res])ective ends of the keel, andare fastened firmly by stout thongs of sc^alslcin thrust through holesbored in the wood and ingeniously lashed. As the bottom of theumiak is Hat the sides of the bottom are formed of square rails of suffi-cient length and given the desired spread. They are held at tlie endsby being joined to the keel. Crosspieces notched at the ends separatethe bottom rails and are steadied in position by being notched so asto sit on the square keel. On the ends of the crosspi
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