298 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1900. 



The shaft is of spruce, gently tapering toward the neck, which is 

 large and bell shaped. Into the end of the shaft is inserted a f oreshaf t 

 of bone, and into the end of this fits the barb. Feathers, three, sym- 

 metrically trimmed and seized at both ends with delicately twisted 

 sinew thread. The barbed head is perforated, and through these per- 

 forations is attached a braided line at least 10 feet long. The other 

 end of the shaft is secured to two points on the shaft by a martingale. 

 When not in use the line is coiled neatly on the shaft and the barb is 

 put in place in the f oreshaf t. When the arrow is shot, the barb enters 

 the tiesh of the otter, the loose fastening is undone, the line unrolled, 

 the f oreshaf t drops into the water; the shaft acts as a drag and the 

 feathers as a buoy to aid the hunter in tracing the animal. (See Plate 

 Lii, fig. 4.) ■ 



Fig. 1. Arrow with line unrolled, showing relation of parts. 



Fig. 2. The shaftment. Attention is drawn to the delicate seizing 

 with sinew thread, the natty trimming of the feather, the most effi- 

 cient nock. 



Fig. 3. The lines and knots. Notice is given of the elegance of the 

 braid, the efficient manner of "doing up" the line, the peculiar knot 

 for the martingale. 



Fig. 4. The arrow ready to be shot. 



This form of arrow, with its southern type of sinew-backed bow, is 

 found also on the Kuriles, where they were taken by Aleuts, carried 

 over by the Russians to hunt sea otter. 



The arrows numbered 1, 2, and 3 in Plate 16 are from the same 

 areas as the harpoon arrows just described, namely, from Bristol Bay 

 to Kadiak. The heads are essentially those of harpoons, and are set 

 into the ends of the shafts in the loosest manner by a slight conical 

 projection fitting into a socket. When the animal is struck the head 

 withdraws itself and remains in the wound. A short piece of string 

 between head and shaft would convert these three missiles into har- 

 poon arrows. To make the likeness more complete. No. 3 has a 

 wooden cap over the blade. 



Cat. No. 72518 in the U. S. National Musevim is a sea-otter harpoon 

 dart or Pishudak from Chernoborn Island, Cook Inlet. The l)ladder, 

 shaft, assembling line, foreshaft, martingale, and barb are similar to 

 the others in all respects excepting the attachment of the foreshaft to 

 the shaft. A projection from the butt of the ivor}^ foreshaft forms a 

 wedge which tapers in two directions. In fact, the foreshaft is dove- 

 tailed into the end of the shaft and seized with a sinew braid or sennit, 

 which acts as the assembling line. See Plate 16 for details of Cat. 

 No. 19382, a harpoon arrow from the same locality. Length of shaft, 

 45i inches; of foreshaft, 3 inches; of point, 5 inches. Collected by 

 William J. Fisher. 



Plate lb, Cat. No. 175825 in the U. S. National Museum, is a sea- 



