282 REPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1900. 



farther nortli. The barbed heads are of yteel. The piercing end of 

 each is lanccoUitc. The barbed portion is toothed or notched in its 

 entire length, six barbs on the one side and five on the other, alter- 

 nating. The tang is oval, perforated, and has a small loop or clevis 

 riveted fast to it. Through this is secured a plaited lanyard or loop of 

 seaweed, by means of which the head is attached to the foreshaf t or to 

 the main line. F^ach one of these fits in a cedar case, made by splitting 

 a piece of wood, hollowing it out, and then lashing the parts together, 

 a method adopted by these Indians in their musical instruments and 

 various receptacles. 



The toggle harpoon (Cat. No. 88^29, U.S.N.M.) of the Haida 

 Indians, figured by Niblack, is still more interesting, being quite simi- 

 lar to the harpoon arrowheads of the South American tribes. The 

 head is of steel, the piercing ends in the form of a spike. At the other 

 end the metal is split open and one portion extended backward for a 

 barb or spur. »Tust where the spur unites with the body a rawhide 

 line is wrapped to form a shallow socket. Into this the end of the 

 loose shaft fits, being cut ofl: in the form of a wedge at the end. The 

 other end of the loose shaft is widened out to fit into a socket in the 

 end of the shaft. The thong which is wrapped around the head is also 

 secure!}' fastened to the foreshaft at its middle and looped at the other 

 end, to be spliced on to the long line for securing the game. (Cat. No. 

 88803, U.S.N.M.) 



Captain Cook draws attention to the barbed harpoons on Cook 

 Inlet, made of fir. about 4: feet in length. They are mentioned here 

 to mark the northern terminus of the unilateral barb, but they will 

 be described fully later on. One end is formed of bone, into which, 

 b}^ means of a socket, another small piece of bone, which is barbed, is 

 fixed, 1)ut contrived in such a manner us to be put in and taken out 

 without trouble. This is secured to the middle of the stick by a strong, 

 though thin piece of twine composed of sinews. These darts are 

 thrown with the assistance of a thin piece of wood 12 or li inches long. 

 The middle of this is slightly hollowed for the better reception of the 

 weapon, and at the termination of the hollow, which does not extend 

 to the end, is fixed a short, pointed piece of bone to prevent the dart 

 from slipping. The other extremity is furnished with a hole for the 

 forefinger, and the sides are made to c;oincide with the other fingers 

 and thunil) in order to grasp with greater firmness.* 



The Chilkotin Indians in western Canada spear salmon with a double- 

 headed toggle harpoon. .The shaft is a long pole, upon the inner end 

 of which are spliced two short pieces of wood which nerve as foreshaf ts. 

 The head of the harpoon is made of three separate pieces, the point or 

 spike and two flukes or spurs, all securely lashed together in such a 

 way that a cavity is left in the base for the end of the foreshaft. The 



^Second Voyage, 111, p. 14. 



