238 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MTTSEUM, 1900. 



A harpoon (Cat. No. 108960, U.S.N.M.) from east Greenland, pre- 

 sented by the Copenhagen Museum, is shown in Plate 4. While 

 in f^eneral appearance the weapon is similar to those of the same char- 

 acter in southwest Greenland, the head is a type peculiar to the eastern 

 part of the peninsula. The body is of narwhal ivory, conical in out- 

 line, a long, lanceolate blade fastened in by means of a rivet. The 

 point of the loose shaft enters directly into the base, which is 

 flanked by two conspicuous barbs or spurs. A strip of iron is riveted 

 across the lower portion on either side to strengthen it. An interest- 

 ing feature in this specimen is the line hole, which consists of two sep- 

 arate perforations, united on the back with a 

 groove or countersunk cavit}^ to prevent the 

 line from chaling. The loose shaft, which has 

 been neatl}" spliced at the upper end, has a 

 flat surface at the base, with a projection in 

 the middle, fitting into a cavity on the front of 

 the foreshaft, and the two are tightly hinged 

 together by means of a lashing of elastic raw- 

 hide. The use of this joint has been elsewhere 

 explained. The foreshaft is in this specimen a 

 cap of ivory, squared ofl' on top, and the middle 

 left projecting for the socket on the base of 

 the loose shaft. The shaft is of wood, and has 

 on its surface the following attachments: A 

 knob of ivory at the lower end, three hooks or 

 pegs for the throwing stick, one to catch into 

 its base or working end, and two near each 

 other fitting into holes in the manual end of the 

 throwing stick, as seen in the figure. Near 

 these pegs is a hook of ivory, over which fits 

 a catch of the same material on the line, serv- 

 ing to hold the toggle head firmly upon the top 

 of the loose shaft when the weapon is set ready 

 to be plunged into the body of the animal. 

 The throwing stick has a perforation at the 

 working end instead of a peg. The line of rawhide is fastened imme- 

 diately into the head of the harpoon and has a toggle at the other end 

 to be attached to the line of the float. The other accessories to har- 

 poons of this class are to be seen in Plates 14, 15, and 16 of Holm (1887). 



WEST GREENLAND. 



The oldest accounts of the Eskimo refer to those of Greenland and 

 Lal)i'ador, but some of their apparatus remains quite primitive. Again, 

 in a preliminary work like this the area can not be accurately sub- 

 divided. The natives themselves are fond of wandering about, and 



Fig. 23. 



HINGED TOGGLE HEAD. 



East Greenland. 

 After Gustav Holm. 



