214 REPORT OF NATIONAL MLTSP:UM, 1900. 



more care. The Fuegiaii harpoon is thrust with both hands or thrown. 

 It has no hand rest on the shaft to make the blow more effective, nor 

 did these natives have knowledue of the harpoon arrow or the throwino; 

 stick, a device prevalent in many other parts of America for propelling 

 the harpoon. The shaft as now seen is a creditable part of the imple- 

 ment, being" often 12 feet long- and cut out with eight sides rather than 

 round. The thong also is carefully knotted to the shaft a few feet 

 from the barbed head, its length nicely adjusted to the setting of the 

 harpoon for action. 



Chilean type. — On the Atlantic slope from the Straits of Magellan 

 to the mouth of the Rio Negro, the bow and arrow (formerly), the 

 long-handled spear, but, more than all others, the different varieties 

 of bolas, were the hunting implements. To find the harpoon it will 

 be necessar}^ to cross the Cordilleras and visit the archipelagos of the 

 Pacific coast. Here amidst the greatest al)undance, having little con- 

 tact with Europeans, the tribes of Aucanian and those of unknown 

 affinities plied a harpoon not much in advance of those of Fuegia (tig. 

 \?)C). It is to all intents and purposes a good North American arrow, 

 chipped head, foreshaft, lashing crossed over the barbs of the head, 

 and conical base for making a joint with the shaft. 



Fig. 13, A and B represent barbed harpoon heads in the U. S. 

 National Museum from Arica, Peru. The heads are of chipped stone 

 set by a tang into a socket in the end of its foreshaft or tang and bound 

 with fine string. The column of the foreshaft is cylindrical, terminating 

 below in a bulb, which serves both to hold the connecting line and to 

 make a loose joint with the shaft. 



In the Blake collections, Peabody Museum, is a similar barbea har- 

 poon from Chacota, Peru, with point or blade of stone, tang of wood, 

 and with conical butt end to fit in a socket.' Comparing these exam- 

 ples with the Fuegian type, the great advantage which one people may 

 have over another caused by differences of material is apparent. The 

 Fuegian, in order to join the head with the shaft of the harpoon, 

 knows nothing better than to split the front of the handle and make 

 the joining as secure as possible b}^ lashing with rawhide, or sinew 

 cord, which shrinks in drying. Soon, however, this becomes loose 

 again, and makes it necessary to repeat the process of fastening. It 

 is a poor joint at best. As soon as the fisherman, coming northward, 

 discovers the tough and straight cane, a new device is possible, and a 

 ))etter joint. Indeed, nature bores the hole regular in form for the 

 butt end of the harpoon head. By cutting the stem of the cane just 

 above the joint an ideal socket is effected. When the harpoon head 

 is set securely into this socket and the outside wrapped with stout 

 thread, the best of joints is effected. The butt end of all South Ameri- 



' Eleventh Annual Report of the Peabody Museum, p. 290, fig. 15. 



