274 ETHNOLOGY. 



Chapter VII. 



HUNTING-SPEARS. 



We may, perhaps, be charged with haviug carried the separation of 

 relics into classes too far ; and that, in some cases, we have been making 

 a distinction where none exists. Indeed, where but comparatively few 

 specimens are found scattered over fields, the impression is natural that 

 the whim only of the arrow-maker dictated the various shapes and sizes; 

 and that all the smaller "pointed flints" are arrow-heads, unless the size 

 is such as positively to render them unfit for such a purpose. 



We have been fortunate enough, however, to make very large collec- 

 tions of these relics, (over six thousand spear and arrow points,) and 

 have been able to satisfy at least ourselves of the correctness of the 

 separate designations adopted, inasmuch as the circumstances under 

 which a great many of these specimens were found show that, while the 

 lance-heads were largely, if not wholly, a war- weapon, these so-called 

 spear-points were as exclusively used in the chase. While lances are 

 often abundant in a limited locality, and very frequently broken into 

 halves, indicating a battle-field, spears are found singly, scattered over 

 the whole country, upland and lowland, except where a great mixture 

 of everything indicates a former settlement or an ancient arrow-maker's 

 work-shop. 



Figure 39 represents a carefully-chipped dirty-white agate, whose 

 size, outline, shape of base, and comparative thickness render it a good 

 type for such of our relics as are designated "hunting-spears." Figure 

 39 measures four and fi.ve-eighths inches in length by one and one-half 

 inches in width at the base, where it begins to taper gradually to the 

 point. The notches at the base are deep, similarly curved, and have 

 the stem well shaped, projecting directly from them, but short, consid- 

 ering the length of the main portion of the specimen. 



The size at once indicates it use : a head for a long shaft, that was 

 intended for thrusting at an object, and then w^ithdrawn, the attach- 

 ment of head to handle being secured by the deep notches at the base 

 of the specimen. The length of this specimen is sufficient to secure, by 

 its use, any of the larger mammals of the period of the occupancy of 

 the country by the aborigines, unless it be the elk or wapiti, and, even 

 in this case, a thrust between the ribs would cause an unpleasant wound 

 . were the spear-head buried its full length in the animal's body. 



More care has been exercised in making this specimen than was put 

 upon lance-heads as a class ; and as hunting-implements were more easily 

 recovered than war-weapons, and less likely to be broken, we can readily 

 see that pains would be taken to have more effective points and edges 

 on specimens that were less likely to be lost or injured in using. Hunt- 

 ing, too, was the sole means (if we except maize-culture) of existence ; 

 and war, although certain at intervals, was not an every-day affair, and 



