162 EEV. GEO. PATTERSON ON THE BEOTHIKS 



stone, gouges, sinkers/ scrapers and arrow and spear heads. I have not observed any- 

 thing peculiar regarding them except the hx^t. While some of the arrow and spear heads 

 are of hornstone or quartzite chipped, a large proportion are polished. These are of the 

 Cambrian slates common on the island, and are generally brought to a very regular 

 shape, some having both faces ground to form three or sometimes only two sides, others 

 having one face so shaped and the other flat or nearly so. * (Plate X, 1, 4.) But a singular 

 peculiarity is seen iii two of this kind in the possession of Dr. Harvey, of St. John's, 

 where we have two holes bored near the stem. In the one they are placed side by side, 

 and in the other one above the other. (Plate X, 1, 2.) These would seem to have been 

 for the purpose of attaching them by a string to the shaft. But this would indicate an 

 idea difiereut from that of other American Indians, who were willing to have the arrow 

 head remain in the animal striick when the shaft was withdrawn. But I believe that 

 these were really harpoon heads which they used in spearing the large sea animals, as we 

 shall see presently, intended to be detached when the animal was struck. These holes 

 were made by scratching with some hard pointed instrument longitudinally, and not by 

 a drill, of which, judging by these, we should suppose them ignorant. 



Besides these there have been found a number of vessels of steatite, of which an im- 

 pure variety is abiindant in the northern part of the island. In particular, at Fleur de 

 lys, on White Bay, a large vein of it is found exposed in the cliffs, and here have been 

 found the marks of their workmanship. They cut grooves first vertically in the face of the 

 deposit and then across between them. Then by driving in wedges they broke it off in 

 quadrangular blocks, which they afterward fashioned into vessels at their leisure. These 

 were generally shallow, not more than from two to three inches deep, and not more than 

 from three to four inches in length or width in the inside. Some have a small groove in 

 the upper edge, supposed by some to be intended for a wick, and it is thought that they 

 were used as lamps, though probably they were also used for boiling seal's fat in. 



A common find is pieces of iron pyrites, a mineral abundant in some parts of the 

 island, which they used for obtaining fire by striking them together, like flint and steel, 

 and Mr. Peyton stated that for tinder they used the down of the blue jay. 



According to him the snowshoes of the Beothiks differed in shape from those of all 

 other Indian tribes, being longer and more taper in the afterpart, and resembling an Eng- 

 lish racket or tenuis bat. This caused the front to bend upward with the weight of the 

 body. A board with a hole in it to receive the toes was fixed across the middle of the 

 racket. (Fig. 5.) 



s-.i: 



Fig. 5. Bed Indian Snowshoe. 



Shanandithit made a drawing of some of their implements, the most noticeable of 

 which, perhaps, is their spear or harpoon for killing seals and probably other large marine 

 animals. It had a bone head attached to a shaft twelve feet long, in her time pointed 

 with iron. To this was attached a string, which probably had a float at the other end. 



' Generally so called, but the purpose for which they were employed is doubtful. 



