636 SLING CONTRIVANCES FOR PROJECTILE WEAPONS, 



warrior with one of these weapons is ])ortraYed." Spears are not 

 thrown Avith these, but a light arrow with a dull head for stiumino-. 

 Instead of a point, a heavy stone or piece of wood is attached with 

 cords and gum, or merely wax balls or tucum nuts serve as heads 

 (see pi. IV, fig. 46). The shaft is often decorated at the upper 

 hook with bunches of gay feathers. There is a smaller spear sling 

 for children. Ehrenreich found such among the Karaya. This 

 type, according to Karl v. den Steinen « and Doctor Ehrenreich,'' 

 is used among the Suya, Trumai. Kamayura, AucUT) on the Xingu, 

 and by the Karaya on the Araguaya. In conclusion, there is still 

 another spear sling from Brazil, of mixed type, wliich does not fit 

 into this scheme and has nothing in Cjommon with the American 

 spear slings. The shaft is flat on the upper side and half round 

 below. It has a grooA^e running the whole distance on the upper side, 

 l)Ounded by narrow lath-like borders. The outer end is flat and 

 oblong and covered Avith a neat braid of cotton cords, which holds 

 the peg firmly to the end of the grooA'e. There is no distinct grij). 

 The outer end of the shaft is decorated Avith tAvo bunches of human 

 hair (see pi. iv, fig. 47). According to Bahnson,'" after comparison 

 with two illustrations in the Copenhagen Museum, one may assume 

 that it Avas indigenous to the tribes of the Tupi nation. 



Thus, in Central and South America are three restricted areas of 

 the distribution of the spear sling. The Mexican type extends from 

 Utah to Panama ; the second is indigenous to Colombia, Ecuador, 

 and Peru; the third has been and still is used, in part, in Colombia, 

 eastern Peru, northern and eastern Brazil. Each of the three types 

 is in itself a complete unit, and the third in contradistinction to the 

 other tAvo. But betAveen these three types themseh^es no relationship 

 is discoA^erable ; each is distinctly foreign to the other. A counnon 

 prototype can not here be thought of. But a relationship betAveen 

 the shafts of the Eskimo and those of American type might be con- 

 sidered, as Mason suggests. Both are of the mixed type, and in the 

 gi'ip occurs here one or tAvo, there one, finger hole. But all connect- 

 ing links between the most southerly Eskimo shafts (Sitka) and the 

 most northerly Mexican types (Utah) fail. 



II. Projectile Slings and Thongs. 



Another means oi increasing tlie distance of flight and accuracy of 

 aim is the projectile sling or thong. 



Two principles are distinguished, the first serving to strengthen 

 the propulsion. Small cords are loosely attached to the spear or 



o Karl V. d. Steinen : Unter den Naturvolkern Centralbrasiliens, first edition, 

 p. 231 et seq. 



b Doctor Ehrenreicli : Reitrage zur A'olkerkunde Brasiliens, 1891, pp. 19 and 51. 

 c Bahnson, op. cit.. Intern. Arch., 11, ])ii. 217-227. 



