HIK1) DART. 



211 



in a circle round the middle of the shaft. The object of these prongs is 

 to increase the chance of hitting the bird if he is missed 

 by the head of the, dart. They always curve forward, 

 so that the points stand out a few inches from the 

 shaft, and are barbed on the inner edge in such a way 

 that, though the neck of a fowl will easily pass in be 

 tween the prong and the shaft, it is impossible to draw 

 it back again. The weapon is in very general use at 

 Point Harrow, and is always thrown from the boat with 

 a handboard (to be described below). It can be darted 

 with considerable accuracy 20 or 30 yards. We seldom 

 saw this spear used, as it is chiefly employed in catch 

 ing molting fowl, in the summer season, away from the 

 immediate neighborhood of the station. It is called 

 nuiiYkpai, which is a plural referring to the number 

 of points, one of which, is called nuia kpuk (&quot;the great 

 nuiak 1 ). 1 



No. S!)244 [1325], Fig. 195, from tltkiavwln, has been 

 selected as the type of this weapon. The shaft is of 

 spruce, *&amp;gt;1.^ inches long and ()&quot; inch in diameter at the 

 head. The end of the butt is hollowed out to fit the 

 catch of the throwing board. The head, of white wal 

 rus ivory, is fitted into the cleft end of the shaft with 

 a wedge-shaped tang as broad as the shaft. The head 

 and shaft are held together by a spaced lashing of 

 braided sinew. To the enlargement of the shaft, 22 

 inches from the butt, are fastened three curved prongs 

 of walrus ivory at C()ual distances from each other 

 round the shaft. The inner side of each prong is cut 

 away obliquely for about 2 inches, so that when this 

 edge is applied to the shaft, with the point of the prong 

 forward, the latter is about 1 inch from the shaft. Each 

 prong has two little ridges on the outside, one at the 

 lower end and the other about 1 inch above this. They 

 are secured to the shaft by three separate lashings of 

 sinew braid, two narrow ones above the ridges just 

 mentioned and one broad one just below the barb. In 

 making this the line is knotted round one prong, then 

 carried one-third of the distance round the shaft to the 

 prong; half hitched round this, and carried round next 

 the next prong; half bitched round this, and carried 

 round to the starting point, and half hitched round 



Tliis word appears to be a diminutive of the Grecnlandic nuek nuik, now 

 used only in tin- plural, nugfit, for the spear. These change s of name may rep 

 resent corresponding changes in the weapon in former times, since, unless we 

 may suppose that the bird dart was made small and called the little nuik,&quot; 

 and enlarged again after the meaning of the name wa.s forgotten, il is hard 

 present name, &quot; big little iiuik.&quot; 



a c 



Fi&amp;lt;; 195. 1 iinl dart. 



o see any sense ]U the 



