636 SLING CONTRIVANCES FOR PROJECTILE WEAPONS. 



warrior with one of these weapons is portrayed." Spears are not 

 thrown with these, but a light arrow witli a dull head for stunning. 

 Instead of a point, a heavy stone or piece of wood is attached with 

 cords and gum, or merely wax balls or tucum nuts serve as heads 

 (see pi. IV, fig. 46). The shaft is often decorated at the upper 

 hook with bunches of gay feathers. There is a smaller spear sling 

 for children. Ehrenreich found such among the Karaya. This 

 type, according to Karl v. den Steinen " and Doctor Ehrenreich,'^ 

 is used among the Suva, Trumai, Kamayura, Auoto on the Xingu, 

 and by the Karaya on the Araguaya. In conclusion, there is still 

 another spear sling from Brazil, of mixed type, which does not fit 

 into this scheme and has nothing in common with the American 

 spear slings. The shaft is flat on the upper side and half round 

 below. It has a groove running the Avhole distance on the upper side, 

 bounded by narrow lath-like borders. The outer end is flat and 

 oblong and covered with a neat braid of cotton cords, which holds 

 the peg firndy to the end of the groove. There is no distinct grip. 

 The outer end of the shaft is decorated with two bunches of human 

 hair (see pi. iv, fig. 47). According to Bahnson,^ after comparison 

 with two illustrations in the Copenhagen Museum, one may assume 

 that it was indigenous to the tribes of the Tupi nation. 



Thus, in Central and South America are three restricted areas of 

 the distribution of the spear sling. The IVIexican type extends from 

 Utah to Panama ; the second is indigenous to Colombia, Ecuador, 

 and Peru; the thii-d has been and still is used, in part, in Colombia, 

 eastern Peru, northern and eastern Brazil. Each of the three types 

 is in itself a complete unit, and the third in contradistinction to the 

 other two. But between these three types themselves no relationship 

 is discoverable; each is distinctly foreign to the other. A connnon 

 prototype can not here be thought of. But a relationship between 

 the shafts of the Eskimo and those of American type might be con- 

 sidered, as Mason suggests. Both are of the mixed type, and in the 

 grip occurs here one oi" two, there one, finger hole. But all connect- 

 ing links between the most southerly Eskimo shafts (Sitka) and the 

 most northerly Mexican types (Utah) fail. 



II. Projectile Slinos and Thongs. 



Another means ol increasing the distance of flight and accuracy oF 

 aim is the ])r()jectile sling or thong. 



Two princi]3les are distinguished, the iirst serving to strengthen 

 the propulsion. Small cords are loosely attached to the spear or 



a Karl V. (1. Steinen : Unter den Naturvolkern Centralbrasiliens, first edition, 

 p. 231 et'seq. 



«* Doctor Ebreiircich : P.citrase zur Vrilkt'i-kuiidc Brasiliens. 1891, pp. 19 and 51. 

 c Bahnson, op. cit., intern. Areli.. IL p]). '2\7-'22~. 



