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Umiak

The European Ancestry of the ‘Women’s Boat’

Self-published, 1937

Umiak – the European Ancestry of the ‘Women’s Boat’ was privately published by Lethbridge during the Christmas period of 1937. A slender volume of only fourteen pages, it is a snap-shot of one of Lethbridge’s obsessions, the relationship between the Eskimo skin-covered boat known as the umiak and the curraghs and cobles found in the northern waters of Britain.

At the time of writing, Lethbridge had been involved in several expeditions to West Greenland and Umiak was conceived as a result of observations made in the field. Many of the ideas featured here were to be explored and expanded in Merlin’s Island (1948), eleven years later.

The book contains a number of line drawings that illustrate the construction and anatomy of the umiak. Photographs are also included to depict examples of the vessels that he had encountered on his travels. They exemplify not only Lethbridge’s observational skills but also his ability to accumulate a sound understanding of the workings and construction of each vessel.

One illustration, dated 1929, shows two men from Kerry, carrying a curragh on their heads. Maybe it was this observation that led him to conceive and illustrate ‘The Highly Conjectural Table to Show Some Possible Lines of Evolution From the Primitive Skin Tent’. This table was to feature at the end of chapter four in Merlin’s Island. Here, Lethbridge suggests that a skin-covered tent or shelter was an inverted prototype for skin-covered vessels.

Even at this early stage of his career, Lethbridge was not afraid to deviate from the narrow path walked by academics. He was quite comfortable presenting his ideas and theories as suggestions and possibilities, when factual information was found to be wanting. He was convinced that his conclusions were equally if not more imposing, having been gleaned not solely from archaeology but from history, mythology and first-hand experience.

At first reading, Umiak seems little more than an extract from a notebook of a seasoned traveller, but a second glance reveals evidence of an enquiring mind. For Umiak contains wit, humour, enthusiasm and all of the elements that were to fuel and illuminate his future works.

The tome contains seven pages of text and six dedicated to Lethbridge’s illustrations and photographs relating to the umiak:

Plate #1: X4 Illustrations of sailing vessels; Fishermen on the Greenland Bank
Plate #2: X2 Illustrations; Kerry Currags (dated: 1929)
Plate #3: X2 Photographs; Umiak of Nugssuaq
Plate #4: X2 Photographs; Hermaphrodite Umiak-Dory of Uppernivik and Buchanan Bay - “Where we found stands for 30’ umiak.”
Plate #5: Plan of umiak Pollena of Nugssuaq (dated: 1937)
Plate #6: Plan of construction of umiak Pollena of Nugssuaq

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