Ifi2 



THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 



1110. Woman s knife, slate 

 blade. 



pattern arc very generally used among the western Eskimo, but in 

 the east the blade is always separated from the ha mile, by a short shank, 

 as in our mincing knives. 



The natives of Point Harrow used round knives long before the intro 

 duction of iron. There are in the collection twenty-three more or less 



complete round knives of stone, most of which 

 are genuine implements that have been used. 

 Of these a few, which are perhaps the more 

 recent ones, have blades not unlike the modern 

 steel knife. For instance, No. 89080 [1 100] Fig. 

 120, has a blade of hard gray miea slate of al 

 most precisely the modern shape, but both 

 faces are gradually worked down to the cut 

 ting edge without a bevel on either. The 

 handle is very large and stout and made of 



coarse whale s bone. This knife was said to have come from the ruined 

 village at Pernyi!. Fig. 121, No. 89079 [071], from Nuwuk, was made 

 for sale, but is perhaps a model of a form sometimes 

 used. The shape of the blade is quite different from 

 those now in use, in having the cutting edge turned 

 so strongly to the front. The handle is of oak and the 

 blade of rather hard, dark purple slate. Fig. 122, 8!(!S!) 

 [985], also from Nuwuk, and made for the market, is 

 introduced to show a method of hafting which may 

 have been formerly employed. The haft is of reindeer 

 antler in two longitudinal sections, between which 

 the blade is wedgetl. These two sections are held together by lashings 

 of sinew at each end, passing through holes in each piece and round the 

 ends. These lashings being put on wet, have shrunk 

 so that the blade is very tightly clasped between the 

 two parts of the handle. The commoner form of 

 these stone knives, however, has the back of the 

 blade much longer, so that the sides are straight in 

 stead of oblique and usually round off gradually at 

 the ends of the cutting edge without being produced 

 int &quot; a l l()int at pit her end. No. 89082 [958] is a form 

 intermediate between this and the modern shape, 

 with a. long back, but pro 

 duced into a sharp point at one end. The han- 

 die is of reindeer antler and the blade rather 

 soft black slate. This specimen is a very cleverly 

 counterfeited antique. 



No. 89030 [1122], Fig. 123, approaches yet 

 nearer the ancient shape, but still has one end 

 slightly produced. The handle is also of reindeer 



antler, which seems to have been very commonly used with the slate 

 blades. The lashing round the blade close to the handle is of seal 



l IG. 121. Woman s 

 knife, slate blade. 



blade 



having a blade 



knife. 



