The Greenland Bow. 21 
Compound Bows. 
As in the case of the simple bow, but in contrast to the backed 
bow, rigidity and elasticity are here combined in one body, the stave. 
This is, among the Eskimo, of whalebone, but as a single piece would 
generally be too pliable, it is built up in slightly varying manners of 
two layers which are held together by plaited sinew threads or narrow 
strips of whalebone. The wings are always bent somewhat sharply 
back in an obtuse angle, and in most cases the edges are parallel; 
only a single specimen (7861) is somewhat more carefully fashioned, 
being narrowest at the grip and in the middle of the wings. From 
the nature of the material, both back and inner side are flat. The 
length appears on the whole to be less than that of the backed bow. 
The following Greenland whalebone bows are preserved in the 
National Museum: 
West Greenland. 
L 5658. Half one layer of a bow stave with lashing holes and notches 
for transverse lashing, 58 cm. Upernivik District. 
7861. Completely preserved bow stave, 82cm. The upper layer extends 
only a very slight distance beyond the wings. Each layer has 
eight holes, arranged in pairs, by which the two are joined with 
strips of whalebone, (Fig. 3, с and c,). Found together with an 
arrow. Ümänaitsiaq, near Ikerasaq, Ümänaq District. 
A2c4. Bow stave with one wing broken off, 96cm. Built up as 
previous specimen. ‘There are only six pairs of holes, of which one 
pair on either wing. In one of the holes is a fragment of plaited 
sinew thread. Edge notched for cross lashing. Uménaq District. 
Le 356. Complete bow stave, 116 cm. The two layers are united so 
as to overlap, each providing one wing. Six pairs of holes, and 
notches at edge (Fig. 3, b and 6,). Grave, North Greenland. 
East Greenland. 
L 3414. Fragment of a bow stave | Renskær, district about Cape 
L 5439. — - - — — } Bismarck. “Danmark” Ex- 
L 3440. — о — | pedition Coll.! 
It will be seen that all these specimens are from the northern 
parts of the coasts, which fact can hardly be due to accident, as it 
was here — at any rate in the case of the West Coast — that the 
great whale fishery took place. This in itself may to some extent 
account for the fact that Fasricrus, who, as already mentioned, chiefly 
considered South Greenland implements, does not know of, or at least 
mina 
1 Will be described by Underinspektor THOMSEN. ASIA 
