284 ETHNOLOGY. 



that could be devised ; yet we doubt not the principal purpose of their 

 manufacture was that of spearing fish, and that the other uses to which 

 they A\ ere put were goverued by the custom of adaptation to circum- 

 stances. 



Chapter IX. 



ARROW-HEADS. 



As almost every variety of mineral is utilized by the arrow-maker, 

 and a great variety of forms and sizes adopted, it is almost useless to 

 attempt any classification of arrow-heads ; for, whatever series of char- 

 acteristics we may select to guide us in their study, we find in every 

 thousand specimens so many exceptions to our limited rule that we 

 finally abandon it in despair. One peculiarity, however, as regards dif- 

 ferent localities is worthy of note, viz, that when the Indians selected 

 a site for a settlement near a peculiarly suitable mineral in sihi, they 

 exclusively used this material, and thus arrow-heads of such a mineral 

 became a feature of such neighborhood ; and further, where such selected 

 mineral could not be well worked except in the larger forms, then the 

 feature of size would also mark such a vicinity ; but when arrow-heads 

 are in abundance — as in a locality like Trenton, J^. J. — where no suit- 

 able mineral is in situ, then every variety of size, shape, and stone will 

 be found. 



Being evident that much skill was required to fiishiou these arrow- 

 heads, it is a wonder why such a variety of shapes should have been 

 adopted, since many of them are very delicate, and yet do not show that 

 they possessed any advantage over the plain triangular flints ; especially 

 is this the case in the long, slender barbs rounded at the end, which 

 require greater force than a sharply-pointed barb to enter the body, 

 but which produce no more ugly or dangerous wound. 



It is observed that there is a class of so-called " rude implements" the 

 apparent use of which preceded that of the better-known stone axes, 

 hatchets, and flint knives. So, also, is there a series of roughly -fash- 

 ioned arrow-points, which, although associated with the others, have 

 every appearance of being older. Whether the "Indian" originated in 

 America or came hither, which is not improbable, certain it is, however, 

 that the arrow-points he used, and now found here, were made in this 

 State ; and as these rude specimens are the simplest in detail, made of 

 the more easily worked min(>rals, and have undergone deep surface- 

 decomposition, it may be concluded they are the first used after the thin 

 flakes, shelled off in forming other weapons, were discarded as too prim- 

 itive. 



Figure 5G represents a " chance-flake," it may be, that flew off at a 

 blow of the hammer in shaping a hatchet, knife, or rough slate lance- 

 bead. Subsequently, it was given an indented or concave base, and, 

 thus shaped, used as an arrow-head. Just such rough specimens are 

 picked up every day by twos and threes. None are more primitive than 

 this, but the somewhat better outlined are scarcely more finished or in- 



1 



