SLTNG CONTRIVANCES FDR PKO.IKCTILE WEAPONS. ()|-{8 



tepee (Olmeea Uixtotin, from clay figures in the Musee clii Troca- 

 (lero)," Palenqiie in Giiatoniala,'' Panama,^ Province of Cneva (after 

 Oviedo''), in acldilion pr()l)al)ly also on the Ciireater Antilles and 

 Lucayas (Bahama Islands'). 



Accordino- to Starr the spear sling is still in nse on the inner anirlc 

 of the Atlantic Cinlf coast, in Tenanpulco, in Apnlo, and at Tecohitla 

 and Nanthla Kiver. Another shaft is here to h(> mentioned which is 

 ])rol)al)ly the prototype of the Mexican. Tt is from Santa Barbara, 

 Cal., and seems shoi'ter (lian any oTIicr known ' (see pi. i\\ fig. l\7). 

 The shaft is broad and thick and about one and one-half times as 

 long as wide. On the npi)er side, extending from the front, is a 

 narrow groove which ends at two-thirds of (he distance. At the 

 outer end a sharp tooth bent forward protrudes. Two finger holes, 

 one at each side of the groove, are bored (hi'ough the shaft, as in the 

 spear slings of Florida and Lake Patzcuaro. It is assmned that this 

 is the original of the Mexican spear sling; for, first, the short length 

 is proof that the evolution of the spear sling is liere in its first stage: 

 secondly, ancient illustrations of spear slings not much longer are to 

 be .seen in Doctor Seler: Intern. Arch., Volume III, page 139, figure 4 

 (see fig. 88), the Codex Mendoza ; thirdly, Mrs. Nuttall mentions, as 

 a weapon of war, a spar sling only '2o centimeters long. 



The second type Avas in use in northw-estern South America. In 

 Colombia, among the Chibchas;" in Ecuador, among the Purahaes 

 (according to Cieca) as in the vicinity of the Latacunga ; beyond 

 this, mainly on the highlands (Oviedo, Valesco), and Quito,'' on the 

 Riobamba.' as in Peru,-' quite common. No spear sling no\v occurs 

 there. All that we know of it is learned, either from descriptions 

 and illustrations in Spanish Avriters, from facsimiles in gold (for 

 example those of Chibcha in the Leipzig Museum), from pictures 

 on pottery (Peru), or from a few examples still in existence (from 

 Quito, in Rome; from Riobamba, discovered by Mr. Reiss). This 

 type is entirely difierent and decidedly masculine. A rough stick 



o Mummy Cave of the Hacienda del Coyote; Doctor Seler: Globus, (tl, p. 97. 



6Uhle: Mitth. Wiener Antliro]). (Jesellseh., 1887, XVII, part 2. p]). 107 et seq. 



'"Waitz: Antln-opol. dvv Naturvolker, IV, p. 349. 



rf .Mummy Caves of the Hacienda del Coyote; Doctor Seler: (ilolms, (Jl. jip. 97 

 et seq. 



f- Waltz: Op. c-it. IV, i). 322, according to Narraveta I, 21, 7.1, 219; Ovieda. 

 Ill, 5. 



/ Dalton : Notes of an Ethnugr. Collection * * * Intern. Arehiv., X, ]>. 

 225 et seq. 



y Wait5<: Anthropol. der Naturvolker, IV, p. ;^t;9; Guarantors: Oviedo, Simon 

 Piedrabita. 



''Stoipe: Intern. Archiv., Ill, p. 2;:57. 



i Uhle: Mitth. Wiener anthrop. Gesellschaft, No. XVII, 1887. pii. 107-114. 



} Dalton : Intern, .\rrhiv., X. pj). 22.5 et seq., from illustrations upon a vase 

 from Peru, iu possession of Mr. Read. 



