SUNG rONTRTVANCES FOR PROJECTILE WEAPONS. 629 



himself; Imt, haviuii- no use for it, it was traiisferretl, still new, to 

 (he possession of the Leipzic Museinn fiir A^ilkerkiuide, together 

 with three spear slings and all appurtenances. The first variety is a 

 shaft 43 centimeters in length. tn]>ering slightly towainl the outer 

 end about 5 to 8 centimeters broad, called '^ Norsok '' ('''■ Vogel- 

 wurfbrett"), according to Virchow, which is used for throwing in a 

 straight line, and is also used in this manner in Labrador (pi. in, figs. 

 ;;() to ;K)e). The upixM- side is flat; the under slanted olf both ways 

 from a central line. In the middle of the upper side a groove shallows 

 fi-om the start and stops short before reaching the outer end of the 

 stick, so that a small, smooth space is left. Upon this a tapering 

 bone hook is attached, leaning toward the front and projecting over 

 the groove. On both sides of the grip are thin bone pieces somewhat 

 tapering, Avhich secure a fii'uier grip. Xo ornamentation is present 

 in this kind. A very ingenious harpoon is thrown with this, having 

 a quite strong, roimd shaft, 1.15 meters long. At the butt end a bone 

 plate is set, which is so hollowed out that the point of the spear-sling 

 hook tits exactly into it. The c(miparatively long iron head with 

 harpoon blade is so fastened that when the toggle strikes it remains 

 in the animal and is still connected with the shaft by means of a 

 leather line." The shaft now turns downward and takes a perpen- 

 dicular position in the water and a bladder attached at the other end 

 easily holds the shaft upon the surface of the water and shows the 

 hunter the position of the animal." The method of throwing is the 

 same as with Australian sticks. 



The second variety is even more ingenious. It is female, and the 

 groove extends from front to back, the shape and the handle being 

 otherwise the sanie as Avith the first variety. Two holes in the groove 

 are to be noted, one occurring about the middle of the grip, the other 

 in a bone set on at the end of the groove fitting into it. The hole is 

 not perpendicular, but slants backward. The shaft is decorated 

 with five carved walrus-ivory pieces inserted in each side of the edge 

 (pi. Ill, figs. 'M II to c). The accompanying harpoon is 2 meters long, 

 with solid iron point inserted into a piece of bone. The thick shaft, 

 at 20 centimeters beyond the center of gravity, has two bone pegs 

 corresponding to the holes in the spear slings, and set backward to 

 fit into them. In use the spear is laid in the groove of the spear 

 sling, the pegs fitted into .their holes. The shaft then still projects 

 50 centimeters backward beyond the board. The spear sling is not 

 applied at the end, but quite in the center of the spear (as with those 

 from New Guinea). In slinging, according to Yirehow,'' the thrower 

 gives a slight push upward, so that the first peg rises from the shaft ; 



a Klemm : Werkz. und Waffen, p. 33 et seq. 



f> Virchow : Verbandlungen der Berliner Authropol. Gesellschaft, 1880, p. 

 268 et seq. 



