310 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1884. 



the cable), and one from near Cape Romanzoff (Fig. 7, No. 36034, col- 

 lected by E. W. Nelson), tlie strands are twisted from the middle (the 

 two ends of the bow in opposite directions) by introducing a toggle 

 between the strands, and the twist is secured by passing the "stop" 

 through the cable. 



This type extends from the island of Kadiak to Norton Sound. The 

 second form of the type appears to be less common than the first, though 

 occurring alongside of the latter. It appears not to be used on the 

 island of Nunivak or south of the Kuskoquim River. 



II. The Arctic Type. 



This is a much shorter bow than the above (from 43 to 52 inches long), 

 narrow in proportion, and of a much more graceful shape (Fig. 8, No. 

 1972, from the Mackenzie region, collected by Eoss). In section it is 

 nearly elliptical, flatter on the back than on the belly, with the handle 

 slightly narrowed and thickened. The greatest breadth is usually 

 about 1^ inches, and the thickness at the handle about f inch. The 

 ends are often bent up as in the second form of the southern type, and 

 when this is done the back is usually reinforced with a short rounded 

 strap of wood or antler in the bend. Oue bow (Fig. 9, No. 89245, from 

 Point Barrow, collected by our expedition) has these ends made of 

 separate pieces mortised on. Only one bow of this type in the collec- 

 tion has an extra rib, which is of antler and very small and short, but 

 the back is frequently covered with strips of sealskin, put on length- 

 wise. 



The backing is always of braided sinew, and of a very complicated 

 and perfect pattern, usually very thoroughly incorporated with the bow 

 by means of hitches and a very complete seizing of many turns running 

 nearly the whole length of the bow and serving to equalize the distri- 

 bution of the strain and thus prevent cracking. 



The backing is one continuous piece of cord, except in one case, 

 where the seizing is separate, and begins, as usual, with an eye, which 

 is slipped round the upper nock. The strands vary in number from 30 

 to 45 on a man's bow (22-28 on a boy's) of which 10-26 extend only 

 from bend to bend on a bow of the Tatar shape, or between the corre- 

 sponding points on a straight bow, and are then made fast by two or 

 three half-hitches each, or, as at Point Barrow, Wainwright's Inlet, and 

 Point Hope, by complicated lashings made up of series of half-hitches, 

 often alternately in opposite directions, the last hitch or two held down 

 by extra round turns, and sometimes as many as a dozen hitches in a 

 series. Fig. 10 is this section of the same large bow. No. 89245, from 

 Point Barrow, figured above, and Fig. 11. the same part of No. 72771, 

 from Wainwright's Inlet, also collected by our expedition. 



A detailed description of the lashings of these bows, two of the most 

 complicated in the collection, will make these figures plain. The first 



