94 



MANUFACTURE OF FLAKES 



a certain block stone or flint (obsidian), in 

 this manner: one of these Indian workmen 

 sits down upon the ground, and takes a 

 piece of this black stone, which is like jet> 

 and as hard as flint. . . . The piece they 

 take is about eight inches long, or rather 

 more, and as thick as one's leg, or rather 

 less, and cylindrical; they have a stick as 

 large as the shaft of a lance, and three 

 cubits or rather more in length, and at the 

 end of it they fasten firmly another piece 

 of wood, eight inches long, to give more 

 weight to this part ; then pressing their 

 naked feet together, they hold the stone 

 as with a pair of pincers, or the vice of a 

 carpenter's bench. They take the stick 

 (which is cut off smooth at the end) with 

 both hands, and set it well home against 

 the edge of the front of the stone, which 

 also is cut smooth in that part; and then 

 they press it against their breast, and with 

 the force of the pressure there flies off a 

 knife, with its point and edge on one side, 

 as neatly as if one were to make them of a 

 turnip with a sharp knife, or of iron in the 

 fire." 



Thus it appears that the obsidian flakes 

 were made, not by blows, but by strong 

 pressure ; and the same is the case with 

 the chert implements of the Esquimaux, 

 according to the description given by Sir 

 E. Belcher.* "Selecting," he says, "a log 

 of wood in which a spoon-shaped cavity was 



c 



-"* 



Section. 



New Caledonian 

 Javelin. 



* Trans, of the Ethnological Soc., New Series, vol. i. p. 138. 



