218 



THE POINT HARROW ESKIMO. 



We obtained five specimens of the form used at Point Barrow. No. 

 89233 [523], Fig. 205, belonging to the set of seal darts bearing the 

 same collector s number, has been selected as the type. This is made 

 of spruce, and the hole is for the forefinger. A little peg of walrus 

 ivory, shaped like a flat-headed nail, is driven through the middle of 

 the tip so that the edge of the head just projects into the groove. This 

 fits into the hollow in the butt of the dart and serves to steady it. It 

 is painted red on the back and sides. Fig. 205ft, No. 89235 [GO], differs 

 from this in having a double curve instead of being flat. A slight ad 

 vantage is gained by this as in a crooked lever. The catch is a small 

 iron nail. The others are essentially the same as the type. No. 89234 

 [528], has a small brass screw for the catch, and No. 89902 [1320], has 

 an ivory peg of a slightly different shape, the head having only a pro 

 jecting point on one side. They are generally painted with 

 red ocher except on the inside of the groove. There appears 

 to be no difference between throwing-boards meant for seal 

 darts and those used with the bird dart. 



Unfortunately I had no opportunity of observing accu 

 rately how the handle was grasped, but it is probably held as 

 seen by Beechey at Eschscholtz Bay, namely, with the fore 

 finger in the hole, the thumb and middle finger clasped round 

 the spear, and the third and little fingers clasping the handle 

 1 under the spear. This seems a very natural way of holding 

 it. Of course, the fingers release the spear at the moment 

 of casting. All the throwing-boards from Point Barrow are 

 right-handed. 



Harpoons. All kinds of marine animals, including the 

 smaller seals, which are also captured with the darts just 

 described and with nets, are pursued with harpoons of the 

 i/ same general type, but of different patterns for the different 

 FIG. 206. Har- animals. They may be divided into two classes those iu- 

 poon hwui. tended for throwing, which come under the head of projectile 

 weapons, and those which do not leave the hand, but are thrust into the 

 animal. These fall properly under the head of thrusting weapons. Both 

 classes agree in having the head only attached permanently to the line, 

 fitted loosely to the end of the shaft, and arranged so that when struck 

 into the animal it is detached from the shaft, and turns under the skin 

 at right angles to the line, like a toggle, so that it is almost impossible 

 for it to draw out. 



No. 89793 [873], Fig. 200, is a typical toggle head of this kind, in 

 tended for a walrus harpoon (tuku), and will be described in full, as the 

 names of the different parts will apply to all heads of this class. The 

 lxnly is a conoidal piece, 4 inches in length, and flattened laterally so 

 that at the widest part it is 1 inch wide and 0-7 thick. On one side, 

 which may be called the loiccr, it is cut off straight for about half the 



Voyage, p. 324. 



