Implements and Artefacts of the North-east Greenlanders. 385 



ridges diverge from a central point and run to tlie tip and 

 the two basal angles of the blade respectively; on the other side 

 they are flat. The basal line is always straight; the edges are, on the 

 other hand, more or less curved — usually, however, but slightly so. 

 The basal angles are generally somewhat rounded. 



It is probable that two of the larger specimens (PI. XII, 3 and 

 PI. XIV, 1) are lance blades; the edges are more sharply curved; 

 they are broadest some distance above the basal line; thus the 

 edges converge rather highly towards the base. The largest of them 

 (PI. XII, 3), from Snenæs, house 406 (L. 3768), is 82 cm. long; its 

 greatest breadth, 45 cm., occurs 3 cm. from the base, which is 

 only 3 cm. broad. The other, from the spring settlement at Rype- 

 fjeldet (L. 4159), is 6-4 cm. in length; its greatest breadth, 3*4 cm., 

 occurs 15 cm. from the base; a nail hole is drilled in the line of 

 maximal breadth. 



As regards the rest of the blades, their length varies between 

 2*3 cm. and 72 cm., while their breadth varies only between 2 cm. 

 and 33 cm. As may be seen, their breadth is fairly constant; thus 

 the longer specimens are more slender than the shorter ones. 



The number of these stone blades is very considerable, especially 

 in view of the small number we previously had from these regions. 

 The second German North Pole Expedition brought home tw^ spec- 

 imens from Mackenzie Inlet (73° 20') \ and the Danish Expedition 

 under Captain C.Ryder six, viz. one from Cape Stewart (70° 27')- 

 and five from Danmarks Pynt (70° 26')^. 



Of all the 38 stone blades of this type from north-east Greenland, 

 only three have nail holes*. Even if we assume that the 14 blades 

 found in the small wooden bowl in house 406 near Snenæs (see 

 p. 376) are not quite ready for use, yet it is evident, that as a rule 

 the blades have not been fastened with nails. They have probably 

 been cemented with a substance similar to that used by the Central 

 Eskimo \ The harpoon heads also point in this direction, only the 

 tw^o with bone blades having holes for nailing. 



As regards the position of the harpoon blade in relation to the 

 line hole, a theory has recently been advanced "^ to the effect that 

 as long as the blade was of stone it was very valuable, being made 

 of a material often rare, and always requiring great labour in ex- 



' KoLDKWEY, p. 603, Figs. 7-8. -Ryder I, p. 315, Fig. 15b (L. b. 759). 



3 L. b. 723. 727 and 728; Ryder I, p. 309, Fig. 8. * PI. XII, 9; PI. XIV, 1 and 

 Ryder I, p. 309, Fig. 8 to the left. In the iMuseum the last-mentioned has after- 

 wards been completed by being put together with another fragment; it is now 

 3 4 cm. in length and 2-5 cm. in breadth, with the hole for nailing 13 cm. 

 from the basal line. * Boas I, pp. 618 and 626. ^ Pobsild, pp. 609—611. 



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