316 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1884. 



Id looking over the Museum collections ou my return, I found large 

 numbers of these tools, all essentially of the same pattern, and gener- 

 ally in pairs, often accompanied by a small ivory marlinespike. Theyl 

 came from many localities along the coast from the Mackenzie region! 

 to Norton Sound, and were variously labeled " bow tools," " bow-string 

 twisters," and "arrow polishers" (!) without further explanation, ex- 

 cept in the case of one pair collected by Mr. Nelson, which were cata- 

 logued as for " tightening the sinew ou a bow. Alwa.ys used in pairs."* 



I have been unable to find any published explanation of the method 

 of using these tools. After wasting much time in conjectures, I dis- 

 covered the modus operandi by actual experiment, while making a mod- 

 el of one of the Point Barrow bows. It is very ingenious, and is well 

 shown in the diagram (Figs. 28 and 29, drawn from a working model). 

 The end a is thrust between the strands to be twisted, so that the hook 

 catches part of them, and the lever making a half-revolution is brought 

 up against the bow, as in Fig. 28. It can continue the twisting no fur- 

 ther in this direction, and if withdrawn for a fresh start the strands 

 would have to be held or fastened in some way, which would make the 

 process a slow one. Accordingly, the rod is thrust through between 

 the strands until the end b is where a was (Fig. 29), when the hook at 

 h catches the strands and the lever is read^^ for another half-revolution. 

 This is continued, the rod slipping back and forth like the handle of 

 a vise, until the cable is sufficiently twisted. 



The reason for using them in pairs was not satisfactorily explaiuedj 

 until Lieut. P. H. Ray, the commanding oificer of our expedition, sugj 

 gested that they could be used simultaneously, one in each cable, so a^ 

 to secure the same amount of twist in the two. I tested this and found" 

 it perfectly easy to work one with each hand. 



The accompanying map is a tracing, with some modifications, of part 

 of Mr. Ball's "Alaska and Adjoining Region." 



* Mr. Nelson Las kindly favored me with all the information he was able to obtain 

 about these implements. He never saw them in actual use, but the natives of the 

 region about Norton Sound informed him that they were used for " twistiug the 

 sinew strands first and then for tightening the plaited or braided sinew backing to 

 the bows after the latter was in place." He describes their use for twisting sinew to 

 make the "hard-laid sinew cord," as follows: "The ends of the sinew cord are tied to 

 the small center holes in the two ivory pieces, one of the latter at each end of the 

 cord, and then they are twisted in opposite directions." He tells me that they are 

 also used for playing a game as at Point Barrow. 



