234 THE POINT BAKROW ESKIMO. 



the small breathing hole. It carr as a nual is like the other harpoon, but 

 has only a short line, the end of hich is made fast permanently to the 

 shaft. Such harpoons are used by all Eskimo wherever they are in the 

 habit of watching for seals at their breathing holes. The slender part 

 of the shaft, however, is not always loose. 1 The foreshaft is simply a 

 stout ferrule for the end of the shaft. These weapons are in general use 

 at Point Barrow and are very neatly made. 



We obtained two specimens, of which No. 89910 [1094], Fig. 227, will 

 serve as the type. The total length of this spear when rigged for use 

 is 5 feet 3 inches. The shaft is of spruce, 20 inches long and 1-1 inches 

 in the middle, tapering to (H) at the ends. At the butt is inserted, as 

 before, an ivory ice pick (tun) of the form already described, 13f inches 

 long and lashed in with sinew braid. The foreshaft (katu) is of walrus 

 ivory, nearly cylindrical, f&amp;gt;a inches long and 0-9 inch in diameter, 

 shouldered at the butt and iitted into the tip of the shaft with a round 

 tang. The latter is very neatly whipped with a narrow strip of white 

 whalebone, which makes eleven turns and has the end of the last turn 

 forced into a slit in the wood and wedged with a round wooden peg. 

 Under this whipping is the bill of a tern as a charm for good luck. (As 

 the boy who pointed this out to me said, &quot;Lots of seals.&quot;) 



The loose shaft (igimu) is of bone, whale s rib or jaw, and has two 

 transverse holes above the shoulder to receive the end of the assembling 

 line (sabromia), which not only holds the loose shaft in 

 place, but also connects the other parts of the shaft so 

 that in case the wood breaks the pieces will not be 

 dropped. It is a long piece of seal thong, of which one 

 i.i end makes a turn round the loose shaft between the 



holes; the other end is passed through the lower hole, 

 ofiashing onebaft. then through the upper and carried down to the tip of 

 the shaft, where it is hitched just below the whalebone whipping, as fol 

 lows: three turns are made round the shaft, the first over the standing 

 part, the second under, and the third over it; the end then is passed 

 under 3, over 2, and under 1 (Fig. 228), and all drawn taut; it then runs 

 down the shaft almost to the butt-lashing and is secured with the same 

 hitch, and the end is whipped around the butt of the ice pick with five 

 turns. The head (natilu) is of the ordinary pattern, 2-8 inches long, with 

 a copper blade and antler body. The line (tukaktln) is a single piece of 

 seal thong 9 feet long, and is fastened to the head without a leader, by 

 simply passing the end through the line-hole, doubling it over and 

 stopping it to the standing part so as to make a becket 21 inches long. 

 The other end is made fast round the shaft and assembling line just 

 back of the middle, as follows: An eye is made at the end of the line, 

 by cutting a slit close to the tip and pushing a bight of the line through 

 this. The end then makes a turn round the shaft, and the other end, 

 with the head, is passed through this eye and drawn taut. When 

 mounted for use, the head is fitted on the tip of the loose shaft as usual 



Parry, Second Voyage, ]. 507, Iglulik. 



