162 H. P. STEENSBY. 
and from Baffin Land to Kotzebue Sound that it is the most important 
and, in the Central Archipelago, the only means of conveyance on the 
sea, where it is used on the smooth winter ice. 
The Kayak in its simplest form is a decidedly Arctic summer-con- 
trivance, which, in reality, is distinguished from its mother form, the 
birch-bark canoe, — which is frequently partly decked over — only by 
its covering of skin. This simplest form of kayak (cf. M. 0. G., Vol. 34, 
figs. 36—38) has an oblong and not a circular man-hole; it is, however, 
small and light, so that it may be carried across land, and can be used 
as a ferry, if two are lashed together side by side. Among the Central 
Arctic Eskimo it is chiefly used at the reindeer hunting in lakes and 
at the fords. 
As this Arctic river-kayak, away towards the Subarctic regions, 
gradually develops more and more into a decidedly marine appliance, 
it is perfected both as regards arrangement and structure. The man- 
hole is made circular, so that it fits round the hunter’s person, and can 
be made to fit still better by means of the waterproof jacket. Besides 
the lance, which was the chief weapon of the river-kayak, the sea-kayak 
is furnished with throwing harpoons with throwing boards. 
The throwing board in all probability, for ethnographical reasons, 
must be regarded as being of American origin. As regards the throw- 
ing harpoon, I believe that the highly developed forms with long 
line and the large bladder are of comparatively late origin. It seems 
most likely that the throwing harpoons first used by the Eskimo were 
closely related to the thrusting harpoons, and have had no other floats but 
the harpoon shaft; at Point Barrow and other places such throwing har- 
poons without bladder still play a rôle. I think it is doubtful whether 
the so-called “bladder-dart” is a transitional form as RINK supposed. 
I am more inclined to believe that the large bladder was borrowed 
by the Eskimo from the Pacific Asiatics; according to this, then, the 
bladder was first used with whale hunting, and the Eskimo were the 
first to convert it into a contrivance for use when hunting seal from 
a kayak. 
I think that the double paddle must be of similar origin. With 
the exception of the Eskimo, the American tribes do not appear to have 
used the double-bladed paddle, but only the single-bladed one. On the 
other hand, the double paddle was an implement rather commonly used 
in Northern Asia", indeed, its use extended right across to Europe, 
where double paddles are known, for instance, from bog-finds. There- 
fore I believe that the Eskimo in the regions about Bering Strait have 
replaced their original one-bladed paddle by the Asiatic double paddle. 
The hunting kayak — equipped with the view of enabling a liveli- 
hood to be gained — as developed from the simple river-kayak, oc- 
1 Cf., among others, MIDDENDORFF, Vol. ТУ, р. 1356. 
