SOME OF THE METHODS AND IMPLEMENTS BY WHICH 

 THE PACIFIC COAST INDIANS OBTAINED GAME. 



BY L. BELDING. 



The bow and arrow was here, as in most parts of the g^lobe, a 

 standard weapon of the natives. The spear was also an important 

 implement of destruction, judging by the numerous carefully made 

 spearheads which are so widely distributed in and on the soil. 



Perhaps next to these in importance, in California at least, were 

 the sling, or throwing stones. This is mere conjecture, for, while 

 the grooved and perforated stones of this State are well known to 

 ethnologists, but little is known concerning them. As they are so 

 often turned up by the plow, they were probably in use at no distant 

 day. The Mexicans who first came to California must have had 

 good opportunity to learn the use of these stones — much better 

 than the Americans who came later. They were probably exten- 

 sively used in killing ducks and geese. Some partially flattened, 

 bevelled, and pointed, grooved stones, which are found in Butte 

 County, appear to indicate that two or more were tied to a common 

 center and thrown together just as they were thrown in Alaska, as 

 described by Mr. Turner. Other forms were probably thrown 

 singly. In the large tule marshes where water fowl must have 

 been swarming, as is still the case a portion of the year, and in other 

 stoneless tracts, the hunter must recover the stone or his occupation 

 would soon be gone. It would be almost impossible to recover it 

 if it fell in the dense tule thickets or ponds unless a string was at- 

 tached to it. It may have been a long string, one end of which 

 was held in the hand. A short string might answer the purpose it 

 some prominent object was fastened to it — a white quill for example. 



Geese and ducks were, no doubt, much tamer before guns were 

 introduced here, but even now, on Butte Creek, when millions ot 

 geese first arrive in the fall, a thrower of average skill could kill 

 geese in the manner I have suggested. 



The accompanying figures represent the throwing stones above 

 referred to: 



Figure i. Length 90 mm.; breadth 45 mm.; thickness 25 mm. 



Figure 2. Length 52 mm.; breadth 42 mm.; thickness 28 mm. 



Figure 3. Length 95 mm.; diameter 32 mm. This may have 

 been used a pendent or charm. 



