The Material Culture of the Eskimo in West Greenland. 177 



cription of the methods from Point Barrow which speaks somewhat in 

 favour of net-catching being an old invention common to the Eskimo. 

 Murdoch, in the section "Natural History" in Ray's Report of the Inter- 

 national Polar Expedition to Point Barrow, Alaska, Washington, 1885, 

 p. 96, amongst the methods employed for net-catching describes several 

 features which the Greenlanders do not know at all ; on the other hand 

 the manner in which the net is set is mentioned: three serial holes, of 

 which the largest is in the centre and through which the net is let down 

 — quite as in Greenland. It is namely not absolutely necessary to do it 

 thus, even if it must be admitted that for nets of a certain size it is the 

 most practical way. 



When the Greenlanders are asked their opinion on this question 

 the majority here reply that "the ancients" certainly knew seal nets 

 before the arrival of Europeans, and that the first nets were made of 

 whalebone is a fact known to everyone. As opposed to this Mr. G. 

 Kleist, who is himself from Julianehaab where nets are not used, objects 

 that if this is so, nets must also be mentioned in the old legends, which 

 he does not remember hearing. As mentioned above it was in old-time 

 tales that Holm heard about nets from the east coast. 



There is hardly any doubt that the use of whalebone for 

 nets ceased immediately colonization began. It was an enormously 

 troublesome task to split the whalebone for nets, and it did not 

 offer the very least advantage over nets of twine; and what is of more 

 significance, whalebone, ever since trade with Greenland began, has 

 always been one of the articles most desired, so that the 

 merchants would quickly see their interests advanced by supplying 

 twine for net-making. 



The same argument is not quite so applicable as regards fish lines 

 of whalebone. Even if they were troublesome to produce and fragile 

 in comparison with hemp lines, yet they had certain advantages which 

 the hemp line can never attain. Whalebone does not absorb much water, 

 does not l^ecome heavy, is easily dried and does not become rigid from 

 frost, and its peculiar quality of elasticity makes it easier for the fisher- 

 man to "feel" a bite in deep water with a line of whalebone than with 

 one of hemp. But none of these advantages is of any consequence with 

 a seal net. 



From the foregoing remarks it will be seen that it is exceedingly 

 interesting that a couple of years ago an old seal net of whalebone was 

 found in an old grave at Rode Bay, north of Jakobshavn near Disco 

 Bay. Mr. 0. Mathiesen, manager of the colony in Ritenbenk, who 

 obtained it from the Greenlander in question has kindly presented it 

 to me. I here wish to repeat my thanks for this rare article. It is twist- 

 ed up into a small bundle. One of the small pebbles which has served 

 as a sinker is still attached. On that side of the bundle which has 

 faced the open air — the net has probably been inserted in a fissure 



14* 



