362 ETHNOLOGY. 



the natives as plummets. He sketched one. Subsequently, a student 

 presented me with a stone of exactly the same shape as that represented 

 in the sketch just mentioned. This stone was found in the earth in the 

 province of Blekinge, and has evidently been used as apUimmct.^^ 



Mr. John Evans* figures a grooved pebble very large in comparison 

 with our New Jersey specimens, as a " grooved hammer," (?) and says of 

 it and similar ones, " They were originally regarded as stone-hammers, 

 but such as 1 have examined are made of a softer stone than those 

 usually employed for hammers, and they are not battered or worn at the 

 ends. It seems, therefore, probable that they were used as sinkers for 

 nets and lines, for which purpose they are well adapted, the groove 

 being deep enough to protect small cord around it from wear by friction." 

 Our i^ew Jersey specimens generally are hard enough for hammers, 

 but are too small, and, like the English specimens already noticed, are 

 free from battered ends. The main difficulty, we think, in considering 

 them as net- weights or net-plummets, is the absence of any proof that 

 the American Indians ever used a net in fishing. 



Loskielt describes the fishing methods of the Delawares and Iroquois, 

 but says nothing of nets. His words are : 



" I am now to describe one of the most favorite diversions of the In- 

 dians next to hunting, namely, that of fisMiuj. Little boys are even 

 frequently seen wading in shallow brooks, shooting small fishes with 

 their bows and arrows. 



" The Indians always carry hooks and small harpoons with them, 

 whenever they are on a hunting party ; but at certain seasons of the 

 year they go out puri)osely to fish, either alone or in parties. They 

 make use of the neat and light canoes made of birch-bark, * * * and 

 venture with them into spacious rivers." 



Loskiel describes a method of shad-fishing similar to that adopted by 

 the early settlers at Trenton, as detailed in the first chapter of this 

 volume. Having mentioned the habit of providing themselves with 

 hooks, and noting, also, that deep-river fishing was customary among 

 the Indians, we see that a suitable "sinker" should also be provided, 

 and we think there can be no doubt that some, at least, of these grooved 

 pebbles were used as such. We say " some of these grooved pebbles," 

 since we believe they are separable into two classes; those rough and 

 only grooved by pecking a slight hollow around them, and those ground 

 over their whole surface, and having a wider, semi-polished, and uni- 

 formly deep and wide groove. Figure 203 belongs to this latter class. 

 The amount of work that has been expended upon some of these grooved 

 pebbles, as mentioned, and the description of certain weapons now or 

 formerly in use by savage races, induce us to believe that such a stone 

 implement as figure 203 was used much after the manner of a modern 

 slung-shot. 



* Anc. stone Imp. of G. B., p. 211, fig. 159. 

 t Mission to N. A. Indians, p. 95. 



