144 



Morten P. Porsild. 



specimen from Nûssaq (western end of the peninsula of Nngssnaq, 

 north of Disco) which is found in Pfaff's collection in the Stockholm 

 Museum. Thalbitzer (Fig. 102) has characterized his piece "head-piece 

 of an adze" and though his description is incomplete, so that neither 

 from the figure nor the description can it be seen if there has been a shaft- 

 socket, yet I am convinced that the piece in question is a Right Whale 

 harpoon. 



Of my two specimens (see Fig. 12), A originates from Hunde Eiland 

 and В from Kronprinsens Eiland, both in Disco Bay. Both are of whale's 



bone, and both are old and 

 their surfaces partially cor- 

 roded. They are both rather 

 dark in colour and have 

 been lying in a morass. 



On A, the side which 

 has been photographed and 

 the toggling butt are best 

 preserved. The dorsal edge 

 is 18 cm. in length, the 

 ventral edge, 14; the point 

 where it is thickest, which 

 point lies in the ventral 

 half, is about 2.5 cm. The 

 line hole is advanced close 

 up to the dorsal edge, and 

 here there is a distinct line 

 groove directed obliquely 

 backwards, the hole is 

 22 mm. in diameter, edges 

 well rounded, especially in 

 those furthest back. The 

 shaft-socket is advanced 

 close up to the ventral 

 edge; it is 14 mm. in 

 diameter, about 3 cm. deep and well rounded at the bottom. The 

 toggling butt is cut aslant. The blade slit lies in the vertical plane. 

 The blade has been neither riveted nor lashed, but merely set tightly 

 into the slit, and, from the pressure of the blade, the harpoon has at 

 last cracked on the ventral side. 



On B, the side worse preserved has been photographed. It is some- 

 what narrower and thicker than the former one. Here, also, the line 

 hole is situated nearer to the dorsal side, but not so near as in A. 

 Of the oblique surface of the toggling butt only the part from the 

 ventral side and up to the shaft-socket is preserved. Here have been 

 no line grooves, but the line holes have their backward and downward 



Fig. 12. Two whaling harpoons. Disco Bay. 



