HUNTING. 



503 



The spears are made like the arrows, but are larger ; the 

 heads also are frequently barbed, and in many cases fit loosely 



218 - 



into the shaft, but are securely fastened to a 

 long leathern thong, which is tied to the butt 

 end of the spear. For throwing the harpoon 

 they use a short handle or throwing-stick, 

 about two feet long, narrow below, four inches 

 wide above, and with a notch on each side 

 for the thumb and forefinger. With these 

 weapons they attack not only seals and wal- 

 ruses, but even whales. They strike the 

 whale, if possible at the same time, with 

 many harpoons, " to which bladders are hung, 

 made of great sealskins, several of which so 

 encumber and stop the whale, that it cannot 

 sink deep. When he is tired out, they de- 

 spatch him quite with their little lances." 

 Kane gives the figure of a lance, the blade 

 of which closely resembles one of the longer 

 "axes" from the Danish shell-mounds.* 



The Esquimaux have three principal ways 

 of killing seals. The commonest is with the 

 harpoon and bladder. When an Esquimaux 

 in his kayak " spies a seal, he tries to surprise 

 it unawares, with the wind and sun in his 

 back, that he may not be heard or seen by it. spear-head. 

 He tries to conceal himself behind a wave, and makes hastily 

 but softly up to it till he comes within four, five, or six 

 fathoms of it ; meanwhile he takes the utmost care that the 



* * 



harpoon, line, and bladder lie in proper order." ( As soon as 

 the seal is struck, the point of the spear detaches itself from 

 the shaft, and at the same moment the Esquimaux throws 

 the large air-bladder on to the water. This is often draped 



<-' oo 



* Arctic Explorations, vol. ii. p. 129. f Craiitz, p. 154. 



