286 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1900. 



of the body of the foreshaft a gutter is carved to receive the knot in 

 the line. A hand rest on the middle of the shaft i.'$ 

 triangular in outline, with a wav}^ margin and short 

 liutings on the surface. It is pierced with three holes 

 and set against the side of the shaft, where it is laid in 

 place b}' wrappings of sinew thread. The fastening off 

 of the lashing by being punched in the soft tissue of the 

 wood is quite characteristic in Eskimo manufactures. 

 The head has three barbs, one on one margin and two on 

 the other, and is flattened on one side and angular on 

 the other. The tang is flat and shouldered. The line 

 hole is an oblong opening, just large enough to hold the 

 rawhide thong and give it play. The line, which serves 

 also for assembling line, is of stout sealskin. The small 

 bladder is attached to the shaft. Its mouthpiece and 

 lashings are well shown in the drawings. 



Specimen No. 33948 in the U. S. National Museum is 

 a bridle harpoon for a throwing stick, from the mouth 

 of the Yukon River, collected by E. W. Nelson. The 

 shaft is of light pine wood, top-shaped at the tip, 

 suddenl}" narrowed, and then gradually widened to the 

 butt end, where it is quite expanded. It is socketed 

 for the shank of the foreshaft. The foreshaft is of 

 ivory, attached to the shaft by a tang which fits intO' 

 the socket. It is perforated just below the shoulder 

 for the reception of a loop of rawhide, which is caught 

 on either side under the seizing, binding the shaft and 

 foreshaft together. This serves as an extra strength- 

 ening or as a retrieving device. The tip end of the 

 foreshaft is tapered and a wooden plug inserted for 

 the reception of the point. Two whole feathers are 

 attached in the usual manner, punched into the wood, 

 all their tip ends and the butt ends held down by a 

 wrapping of the assembling line. The assembling line 

 passes from the front end of the shaft to the inner 

 end of the feathers. The point is of ivory, line hole 

 oblong, tang conical, with a shoulder. Martingale of 

 sinew string, the two ends fastened in the usual place — 

 one near the foreshaft, the other back of the middle, 

 fastened by a clove hitch. The assembling line acts as 

 a lashing for the shaft and the foreshaft, passes back- 

 Avard by the regular series of half hitches, and is fas- 

 tened, oft' at the butt end as a seizing to the feathers. 

 Especial attention is called, to the hole near the tang 



of the foreshaft; a similar hole is found through the inner end of the 



Fig. 82. 

 BAKBED HAKPOON. 



St. Michael Island. 



Collected by E. W. Nel- 

 son. Cat. No. 33tfl0, 

 U.S.N.M. 



