184 Morten P. Porsild. 



wording to the size of the animal, the conditions of the sea where 

 these implements have to be used, and the personal taste and skill of 

 the user. 



As the individual bone pieces naturally are found in ruins and 

 graves, just like all other implements and as they have sometimes 

 been misinterpreted, being conceived as entirely different implements, 

 even as weapons, it will perhaps be appropriate to describe the 

 implement in its entirety. True, Fabricius has already done this 

 and done it just as excellently as he has described the weapons, but 

 partly because his drawings are so bad that they are only really 

 comprehensible to one who has some previous knowledge of the subject, 

 and partly because the details and names mentioned in connection 

 with them disagree somewhat with those here at Disco Bay, I prefer 

 to describe the towing tackle as it is most commonly used here. 



The complete implement (see Fig. 34) is called kalutit, 165, It 

 consists of a heavy rawhide-line 2.5 — 3 metres long, which carries at 

 both ends a spindle-shaped piece of bone, 12 — 18 cm. long, the neck- 

 piece (a) {malasiat, from malaq, 198, the front of the neck; in Fabricius 

 it is called mangivsiiil) and a semi-globular and sometimes almost disc- 

 shaped bone-block {b) which is called nagtoraq, 217. What is meant 

 to be understood by this root-word is that something is bent, so 

 that the sea-eagle, from the shape of its beak can be called nagtoralik, 

 "the one provided with nagtoraq,'^ which might suggest that at other 

 times, or in other places, the implement had quite another form. ^ 

 Malasiut and nagtoraq are connected in various ways, two of which 

 are shown in the drawing. Generally, however, at least two, and 

 sometimes three, pieces of line connect them. 



The one malasiut is thrust under the skin and turned cross-wise 

 almost at the upper end of the breast bone, the other is placed in a 

 similar manner right out at the point of the lower jaw, and the two 

 nagtoraq-pieces are thrust below the cross straps which cross the deck 

 of the kayak just in front of the man-hole. In order, later, easily to 

 withdraw the malasiut, this is provided at the short end with a bit 

 of line (c) {nusugtâ from nusugpâ "he pulls it towards him," 258; in 

 Fabricius nuitsiut of the same root), which may often be provided 

 with a small bone knob to give a better hold when the line is greasy, 

 or when the mittens are very wet. 



Midway along the line are placed two other implements, the 

 navel piece {d) kingugdlersiut, "that which enters into that which 

 is further back in succession," in Fabricius ikiûtlnguaq, "a small 

 expedient" and (e) qissugtaussaq, "the one which resembles that wooden 

 stopple {qissugtaq, 150) round which the openings of the large bladder 



^ Even when the nagtoraq is not at all bent, but is only a clumsily made 

 block, it is nevertheless known by the same name. 



