Mrmiorii.] HARPOONS. 2 23 



Throwing-harpoons are, always thrown from the hand without a 

 throwing-board or other assistance, and are of two sixes, one for the 

 walrus and bearded seal, and one for the small seals. Both have a long 

 shaft of wood to the tip of which is attached a heavy bone or ivory fore- 

 shaft, usually of greater diameter than the shaft and somewhat club- 

 shaped. This serves the special purpose of giving weight to the head 

 of the harpoon, so it can be darted witli a sure aim. The native name 

 of this part of the spear, ukumailuta (Greeulaudic, okimailutaK, iceiylit), 

 indicates its design. This contrivance of weighting the head of the 

 harpoon with a heavy foreshaft is peculiar to the western Eskimo. On 

 all the eastern harpoons (see figures referred to above and the Museum 

 collections) the foreshaft is a simple cap of bone no larger than the shaft 

 the tip of which it protects. Between the foreshaft and the toggle-head 

 is interposed the looxe xliaft (i gimu), a slender rod of bone whose tip 

 fits into the shaft socket of the head, while its butt fits loosely in a socket 

 in the tip of the foreshaft. It is secured to the shaft by a thong just 

 long enough to allow it to be unshipped from the foreshaft. This not 

 only prevents the loose shaft from breaking under a lateral strain, but 

 by its play facilitates unshipping the head. On these harpoons intended 

 for throwing, this loose shaft is always short. This brings the weight 

 of the foreshaft close to the head, while it leaves space enough for the 

 head to penetrate beyond the barb. 



The walrus harpoon varies in size, being adapted to the strength and 

 stature of the owner. Of the six in our collection, the longest, when 

 mounted for use, is 9 feet inches long, and the shortest 5 feet 8 

 inches. The ordinary length appears to be about 7 feet. It has a long, 

 heavy shaft (ipua) of wood, usually between 5 and (! feet long and 

 tapering from a diameter of 1 inches at the head to about 1 inch at the 

 butt. The head is not usually fastened directly to the line, but has a 

 leader of double thong 1 to 2 feet long, with a becket at the end into 

 which the main line is looped or hitched. At the, other end of the line, 

 which is about 30 feet long, is another becket to which is fastened a 

 float consisting of a whole sealskin inflated. When the head is fitted 

 on the tip of the loose shaft the line is brought down to the middle of 

 the shaft and hooked by means of a little becket to an ivory peg (ki Ierb- 

 wlfi) projecting from the side of the shaft. The eastern Eskimo have, 

 in place of the simple becket, a neat little contrivance consisting of a 

 plate of ivory lashed to the line with a large slot in it which hooks over 

 the catch, but nothing of the sort was observed at Point Barrow. 



The harpoon thus mounted is poised in the right hand with the fore 

 finger resting against a curved ivory projection (ti ka) and darted like a 

 white man s harpoon, the float and line being thrown overboard at the 

 same time. When a walrus is struck the head slips off and toggles as al 

 ready described ; the line detaches itself from the catch, leaving the shaft 

 free to float and be picked up. The float is now fastened to the wal 

 rus, and, like the shaft of the seal dart, both shows his whereabouts 



