354 



obliged to do this up there, where the dogs cannot themselves 

 go and seek for food on the beach, as they would then rob 

 the food-depots or break into the houses. Just as in the more 

 southerly West Greenland, the dogs are sometimes placed out 

 on the small islands in the summer, where they are permitted 

 to run about loose, but even here they are fed with a certain 

 amount of regularity, which however does not always mean 

 daily. Such a "dog-island" lies off the coast at the settlement 

 Umanark. In order that the dogs when fastened in the leashes 

 should not be able to free themselves by chewing through the 

 leather, it is said to be common for the dogs, when still pup- 

 pies, to have their molars crushed by means of a stoned 

 Dog-flesh is only eaten in cases of want. 



The two common forms of harpoon-points and their differ- 

 ent use have already been described above. It would be of 

 considerable interest to obtain an account of the different forms 

 of harpoons. I shall not attempt to give such an account here, 

 however, inter alia because I was unable during my short stay 

 to get the matter fully cleared up. I shall therefore content 

 myself with some few preparatory notes. A throwing board is 

 not used for any kind of harpoon. Instead, the shaft of the 

 harpoon, somewhat below the middle, has a small, firmly lashed 

 bone button, which serves as support for the hand in throwing 

 or striking, the button being held between the third and fourth 

 finger. 



Quite provisionally for the sake of description and to give 

 a basis for future investigations , I may divide the harpoons 

 into heavy and light. The heavy harpoons have a shaft which 

 the hand can scarcely reach round ; its length is usually about 

 1,5 m, and to this has to be added a foreshaft of bone, the 

 length of which may vary somewhat greatly (ca. 20 — 40 cm). 

 Of the heavy harpoons again I have seen two kinds, namely, 



^ Mylius-Eiichsen og Moltke, 1. с, p. 232. 



