NORTH AMERICAN BOWS, ARROWS, AND QUIVERS. 679 



" The regular liuntiiio- or war bow of the Tse'kehiie was of niouutam 

 maple (Acer glabrum. Tow) and 5i feet or more in length. The edges, 

 both inner and outer, were smoothened over so as to permit of strips of 

 uuplaited sinew being twisted around to insure therefor the necessary 

 strength. These jneces of sinew were fastened on with a glue obtained 

 from the sturgeon sound, which also did service for all kinds of gluing 

 l)urposes among each of the three tribes, while still in their prehistoric 

 period. The central part of the bow, which w^as so thick as to ap])ear 

 almost rectangular, was tinally covered with a tissue of differently- 

 tinged porcupine quills. 



"Great care was taken to obtain a bow-string impermeable to snow 

 and rain. With this object in view, delicate threads of sinew were 

 twisted together and afterwards rubbed over with sturgeon glue. 

 Tins first string was then gradually strengthened by additional sinew 

 threads twisted annind the iirst and main cord, each overlaying of 

 sinew being thoroughly saturated with glue. Finally when the string 

 had attained a sufticient thickness for efficient service it was repeat- 

 edly rubbed over with gum of the black pine {Ahics Ixdsanica). 



"A less elaborate bow (tig. 'M) is still to this very day in use among 

 the Tse'kehne in connection with the blunt arrow already mentioned. 

 It is of seasoned willow (.SVf/ a; longifolia), and being devoid of any 

 sinew backing or other strengthening device, its edges are more angular 

 than those of tig. 30. Its string consists merely of a double line of 

 cariboo skin slightly twisted together. The specimen tigured above 

 measures 4 feet 10 inches. 



"The Carrier bow was never much more than 4 feet in length, and 

 the woodeu part of it wns invariably juniper {J. occideiitalis). Instead 

 of being twisted around as in the Tse'kehne bow, the threads of sinew 

 were glued on the back after the fashiou of the Eskimo bow, w ith this 

 difference, however, that in the Carrier weapon the sinew was not 

 plaited. When a layer of thin sinew^ strips had been fastened length- 

 wise on the entire back of the bow% it was allowed to dry, after wiiich 

 others were successively added until the desired strength had been 

 obtained. A process analogous to that whereby the Tse'kehne bow- 

 string was made was followed in cording the string of the Carrier bow.""* 



"The most powerful as w'ell as most artistic weapon is the bow. 

 It is made of beech or si)ruce in three pieces, curving in opposite 

 direction, and ingeniously bound by twisted sinews, so as to give the 

 greatest possible strength. Arrows, as well as spears, lances, and 

 darts, are of white spiuce, and pointed with b<me, ivory, tiint, and 

 slate. 



"They have two sorts of bows, arrows pointed with iron, tiint, and 

 bone, or blunt for birds. {Sinipfion Nar., 123.) 



"They ascended the Mackenzie in former times as far as the Ram- 

 parts to obtain tlinty slate for lance and arrow-points. (Richardson's 

 Jo«r., vol. I, p. 213.) 



"One weapon was a walrus tooth fixed to the end of a wooden staff. 

 (Beechey's 1 >>//., vol. i, p. oVo.) 



"At ('oppermine liiver arrows arc ])(>inte<l witli slate or copper. 

 (Hearne's Traveh, pp. 101-109.") t 



* Father A. G. Morice, Trans. Canad. Jnsl., Toronto, 1894, iv, 58, 59. 

 t See Baucroft, iV. E. vol. i, p. 59. 



