EXPLANATION OF PLATE LV. 



Western Eskimo Barbed Arrows. 



Fig. 1. The shaft tapers both ways from the middle aud is Ihittened at the nock. 

 Feathers, two, laid on spirally and seized at the end with sinew. Nock, 

 flat; notch, U-shaped. The blade of the head is sagittate, and there are 

 two barbs on each side of the tang, which is inserted in the end of the 

 shaft and seized with sinew. Length, 29 inches. 



Cat. No. 72765, TJ. S. N. M.; also 72759. Ooglaamie Eskimo, Point Barrow. Col- 

 lected by Capt. P. H. Ray, U. S. Army. 



There is a great variety of form iu this class of arrows, the design being always 

 the same. In one specimen the tang is cylindrical and a series of barbs is tiled on 

 the edges of the blade. In another the tang is made of walrus ivory, and the iron 

 blade inserted into the end of this tang has barbs on the lower edges of the blade. 

 In another specimen one-half of a pair of scissors is used as a head. The part in 

 front of the hinge, tiled with two edges, forms the blade, and the jiart behind the 

 hinge is filed and straightened out so as to form the tang and a very efficient barb. 

 This is a remarkable specimen of the adaptive geniuj of this people. In the shaping 

 and filing of this scissors blade all of the characteristics aud marks of the barbed 

 arrow with a stone head are preserved, except that the metal is substituted for the 

 bone aud stone. 



Fig. 2. Shaft, of spruce wood, cylindrical. Shaftment, gradually flattened toward 

 the nock. Feathers, two, extending off from the shaft, and seized with 

 sinew-twisted thread. The nock is flattened; notch, parallel-sided. The 

 barb, apiece of antler, sharpened at one end, inserted into the end of the 

 shaft, and seized with fine sinew thread. The four barbs are on one side 

 of the barb piece, and they project from the shaft, as iua feather, and this 

 effect is emphasized by a little furrow just where the barbs proceed from 

 the shaft. The point, a formidable blade of iron, with jagged barbs at 

 the lower extremities, inserted into a "saw cut" on the end of the barb 

 piece aud fastened with a copper rivet. 



Cat. No. A and B. 43352, TJ. S. N. M. Eskimo, Upper Yukon. Collected by E. W. 

 Nelson. 



Fig. 3. Shaft, of spruce, cylindrical, flattened towards the end. Feathers, two, 

 seized with sinew twine. Nock, flat; notch, U-shaped. The head is in 

 two parts. The shank is barbed on one side, inserted into the end of the 

 shaft, and seized with twisted sinew. The head is sagittate; the tang 

 inserted into a cut iu the end of the shank and seized with sinew. Total 

 length of shaft, 29^ inches. ^ 



Fig. 4. Similar to fig. 3, excepting that the head is all of iron. The long shank is 

 serrated on the edges and the leaf-shaped blade has also barbs near the 

 base. Length, 25f inches. 



Cat. No. 875, TJ. S.N.M. Mackenzie River. Collected by R. W. MacFarlane. 



Fig. 5. Shaft, of spruce, cylindrical. Shaftment, flat. Feathers, two, seized at 

 the end with twisted sinew, standing off from the shaftment. The nock 

 is flat and seized with twisted sinew; notch, U-shaped. The head is a 

 piece of sheet iron inserted into a citt in the end of the shaft aud seized 

 with twisted sinew. Three al)uormally large barbs on each side of the 

 head. Length, 30 inches. 



Cat. No. 1966, U. S. N. M. Mackenzie River. Collected by R. W. MacFarlane. 



