260 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1900. 



()ope( 



Eskimo has inoenioush' drilled a series of holes along the marg-ins and 

 repaired the sot^ket by means of sealskin thongs rolled backward and 

 forward. The line in this case is a coarse thong of walrus hide, which 

 through the line hole and fastened by a wrapping with a 

 smaller thong, in which the Eskimo has exhausted 

 liis ingenuity l)y a variety of knots and splices. 



A combined barbed and toggle harpoon head of 

 ))one (Cat. No. 8279 U.S.N.M.) from Upernavik, 

 Greenland, is shown in fig. 52. Bod}^ long, irregular 

 cylinder, whose diameter varies in proportion to the 

 strain at each point, cut oflf quite abruptly at the point. 

 The economy of material is noteworth3^ Blade cut 

 shallow; iron blade broken oil', but its lower margin 

 remains in the cut, held in place by means of an iron 

 rivet. Line hole small, curved up and strengthened 

 on the outside b}' an additional thickness of the body. 

 Line grooves slight. Barbs, two, the front one a very 

 prominent hook, triangular 

 underneath, its rear margin 

 also a shallow hook with 

 rounded edge. In this respect 

 the specimen is unique in the 

 U. S. National Museum. The 

 rear barb is cocked up and 

 pointed. In the tip of this 

 barb is a hole half an inch 

 deep, and three small perfo- 

 rations for rivets are to be 

 seen above it. The precise 

 use of these perforations is not known. Socket 

 an inch deep, the butt end whittled off with a 

 slight incurve. Length, 6 inches; diameter, 

 three-fourths inch. Collected by Dr., I. I. 

 Hayes. 



A loose head of a lance (Cat. No. 10136, 

 U.S.N.M.) is given in fig. 53. A careful in- 

 spection of this specimen, and others like it, 

 will show that it lacks the essential qualities 

 of a har|)oon, namely, of being hinged to the 

 end of the shaft and of retrieving. There is 

 neither barb nor toggle on this specimen or 



others of the same class. The hinged lance, either in the form of a 

 weapon to be thrust or of one to be thrown from hand or bow or 

 throwing stick, is exceedingly rare. Only in the areas where immense 

 sea manunals are hunted is it thought necessary to guard in this way 



Fig. 52. 

 OLD BARBED AND TOG- 

 GLE HEAD. 



■ e n - 



Upernavik, G r 

 land. 



Collected by I. 1. Hayes 

 Cat. No. 8379. U.S.N.M. 



Fig. 53. 

 LOOSE HEAD OF A LANCE. 



Repulse Bay. 



Collected by C. F. Hall. Cat. No. 



10136, U.S.N.)I. 



I 



