Mittens are universally employed among the Eskimo, but gloves with fingers, which, as is well known, are a much less warm covering for the hand than mittens, are very rare. They are in use at Norton Sound[N226] and in the Mackenzie district[N227], and have even been observed among the Arctic Highlanders of Smith Sound, who, however, generally wear mittens[N228]. Dr. Simpson[N229] mentions both deerskin and bearskin mittens as used at Point Barrow, but makes no reference to gloves. The natural inference from this is that the fashion of wearing gloves has been introduced since his time. It is quite probable that the introduction of firearms has favored the general adoption of gloves. The following hypothesis may be suggested as to the way the fashion reached Point Barrow: We may suppose that the Malimiut of Norton Sound got the idea directly from the Russians. They would carry the fashion to the Nunatañmiun at Kotzebue Sound, who in their turn would teach it to the Point Barrow traders at the Colville, and these would carry it on to the eastern natives. [Footnote N226: Dall, Alaska, pp. 23, 152, and 153. He speaks of the thumb (p. 23) as “a triangular, shapeless protuberance”; a description which applies well to those in our collection.] [Footnote N227: MacFarlane MS., and Petitot, Monographie, etc., p. xv.] [Footnote N228: Bessels, Naturalist, vol. 18, p. 865.] [Footnote N229: Op. cit., p. 242.] [Illustration: FIG. 69.--Man’s breeches of deerskin] LEG AND FOOT CLOTHING.