Transcription
Dear Sir,
Your letter at hand but have been unable to answer until now.
I am sending you two cuts of some of the articles. I can not sell the snow knife, stone cup or adz, tha [sic] toy lamp and pot and snow glasses are not for sale.
As to the collection I have, it has not been placed with any Museum yet for it is on exhibition until the 20th of this month. However, there is an option pending on it at present.
In Cut No. 1 Object No. 1 is a stone lamp made from Soap stone. 25 in. long, 6 in. wide, 3 in. deep on the outside, and 1 1/2 in deep on the inside having a flang to hold the blubber out of the oil.
No. 2 is a soap stone pot 24 in-8 in. 5 in and 1/2 in. thick. A hole in each corner of the pot so as to pass a cord thru in order to hang the pot up. Pot and lamp one set.
-2-
Object No. 3is cup or scoop made from the horn of Musk-Ox, very neatly put together, a few copper rivets are used in it. The cup will hold one quart. Object No. 4 is a knife made from a rusty piece of sheet iron. The blade is 4 inches long tapering from the point up to 2 in. at the base of the blade. which is connected to a handle made from a Caribou horn. copper rivers being used.
No. 5 is a copper adz which is not for sale.
Cut no. 2
Cuts No. 1-2_3-4- are in same pattern as in Cut No. 1. No. 7 is a spoon made from a Caribou horn 14 in. long from ti p to handle, the bowl part being 6 in. and spliced in the center.
No. 8 is a copper ice-pick 12 in long , 3/4 in. wide, 1/2 in. thick. The handle is made of Caribou horn 8 in long.
No9 is a Copper Fish Gaff having two prongs connected to a Caribou horn to be used on a wooden handle.
No11. is a Fish -hook, line and reel. The hook is of copper 8in. long with a piece of bone for a bait to attract the fish. The line is of braided sines about 6 fathoms long. The Reel is of wood and bone.
No. 5-6 and 10 are not for sale. I can let you have one arrow with copper head, which has a couple of owl feathers for guiding. The arrow has two splices in it.
This collection was procured at the mouth of the Copper mine River, by myself, in the year 1911 while on the Sch. Teddy Bear. Mr Stefansson was there at the time.
-3-
This is the place that Stefansson claims the Blonde Eskimoes are found.
I noticed that you had asked for a seal spear, so I will describe it here.
The handle is of wood 41 in. long, a piece of Caribou horn 17 in. long fits into the handle. At the end of the horn is a steel tip 21/2 in long with copper rivets which held the steel on the bone about the same length, to this is attached a braided sinew 1/4 in wide which increases to1/2 in. at the end. This tip is detachable from the 17 in bone. At the opposite end is a curved concave pick made of horn 5 in long and firmly bound onto the wooden handle with braided sinew.
I would not like to break this set and the lowest figures I can possibly make is $500. for the articles named in this collection, and I would consider it a favor, if you take the sets, that you would not mention the figuresfor I am selling at a much higherwhen taking separately.
The collection, as I have stated previously, is being used as present in exhibition work but will be at liberty in a months time perhaps in 20 days.
Thanking you I am,
Sincerely yours.
