The Material Culture of the Eskimo in West Greenland. 131 



are of very different sizes, according to the mode of hunting employed, 

 and the animal pursued (see below). They are used from firm ground 

 — from the ice. As the majority of the methods of hunting on ice by 

 help of the kapissiniutit have either entirely gone out of use, or are 

 of less importance owing to the fact that the new methods which have 

 developed after colonisation are far more profitable, the hunter now 

 usually uses his thrusting harpoon only when, on rare occasions, he 

 employs one of the old methods. 



Methods and implements^for hunting on ice. 



The chief methods of hunting on ice in former and recent times 

 have been described repeatedly, but never quite fully. The most ex- 

 haustive descriptions are given by Rink in his previously mentioned, 

 well-known work. 



As the Eskimo names mentioned below for the different methods of 

 hunting on ice can be translated in part only, the West Greenland version 

 of the names is given. But before proceeding further it will be appropriate 

 to give a few elements of the structure of the Eskimo language. The suffixes 

 -foq and -voq attached to a verbal root denote that the third person singular 

 is the subject of the verb in the present indicative. For instance, qâgtarpoq, 

 he catches (seals) with a net. The suffixes -pa and -va signify the same 

 tense and subject, but, in addition, denote a third person as object. For in- 

 stance, qâgtarpâ he catches it with a net. The suffixes -toq or -soq attached 

 to a verbal root denote a substantive: he who performs the action in question. 

 For instance, qâgtartoq a hunter who catches (seals) with a net. The suffix 

 -aeq, also, denotes a substantive, viz. the action expressed in the verb. For 

 instance, qagtarneq net-catching. As it is the form for the third person singular, 

 indicative, which usually occurs in dictionaries, it is often this form which 

 authors have employed when they have wanted to use Eskimo names for 

 hunting on ice. But the above shows that such a formation of words as 

 " mdupoq-huuting," "mdupoq-}mnter," "nidupoq-method," etc., is a linguistic 

 monstrosity which should not be used. If one wants to use these terms for 

 the action itself — in this case the mode of hunting — the substantive 

 word for it should be used. 



A. Hunting of Phoca foetida at breathing holes 

 on firm ice. 

 1. M aune q. (Fig. 3). When the sea is frozen everywhere, the seal 

 must make, and keep constantly open, some holes where it can come 

 up for air {agdlo, 2). Here a dome of thin, cracked ice is formed, which 

 rises above the surrounding surface of ice, but is often hidden by drifting 

 snow. When the hunter has found the breathing hole, often by the 

 aid of a dog trained for the purpose, he sits down upon a small three- 

 legged stool, and puts his feet upon a skin or upon another and lower 

 stool and watches for the seal to come up to blow. The harpoon shaft 

 with the thrusting harpoon attached, and with a short line, often lies 



