SAVAGE WEAPONS AT THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION. 277 



butt of the arrow. The middle of the arrow and the handle of the pal- 

 lida are held in the right hand, and the arrow is projected as from a 

 sling. The natives are very skillful with it. 



The throwing-boardx used by the Northwestern Eskimo and Indians 

 are shown in Fig. 120. 

 They resemble the 

 spear-casters (xu iatla- 

 tli) used by the Aztecs 

 at the time of the Span- 

 ish COntlUeSt. On the Fig. 11 ^- — Australian throwing-stick. 



mural monuments of Mexico the gods are generally represented as using 

 the stick to throw the javelin. The Mexican stick most resembles the 

 upper one in Fig. 118. Some other Eskimo throwing-sticks have pro- 

 jections against which the butt of the spear is placed; and others (see 

 the lower in the figure) have holes for the tail end of the spear. 



The Romans used the amentum (<;/'. habena), a thong fastened at the 

 center of gravity of the javelin to hurl the weapon. It is mentioned by 

 Livy and Ovid. By giving the thong a few turns around the shaft a ro- 

 tary motion could 

 be imparted to 

 the javelin in 

 throwing. The 

 ansa of the ansa- 

 tahasta was a sem- 

 icircular strap- 

 handle to a spear, 

 like the bow on a 

 sword-hilt. The 



Fig. 120. -Throwing-boards of Northwestern Eskimo. aclisof theancient 



Osci was a massive spear like a harpoon, with an attached line for recov- 

 ering it. 



The natives of New Caledonia have a javelin 15 feet long, which is 

 discharged by a plaited cord (ounep) attached a little behind the middle 

 of the spear. This ounep (otherwise called sipp), answering to the ami ..• 

 turn of the ancients, but superior thereto, is a plaited cord made of com- 

 bined coir liber and fish-skin; it has a knot at one end and is worked 

 into a loop at the other. It is wound around the spear-shaft so as to give 

 it a rotary motion in flying. 186 When a spear is to be thrown the forefinger 

 of the right hand is put into the loop, and the man balancing the weapon 

 to find the middle takes a sailor's half hitch at a point behind the center 

 of gravity. Throwing the spear he looses his grasp at once, projecting 

 the weapon by the cord, which becomes detached as soon as the back- 

 ward pull on it occurs, leaving the cord in the hand of the thrower. 

 The ancient amentum was attached to the spear. 



I8 «Nilson, "Stoue Age," p. 174. 



