MURDOCH. 1 



WHALE HARPOONS. 



239 



long in proportion as represented on the two models is shown by Fig. 

 230, No. 81*744: [0(59], the only specimen obtained with any part of the 

 line attached. A piece of stout wal 

 rus-hide thong 2 feet long is passed 

 through the line-hole and doubled 

 in two equal parts, which are firmly 

 stopped together with sinew about 

 2 inches from the head. Another 

 piece of similar thong 4 feet 2 inches 

 long is also doubled into two equal 

 parts and the ends firmly spliced to 

 those of the short piece thus: The 

 two ends of the long piece are slit 

 and one end of the shortpiece passed 

 through each slit. One of these ends 

 is then slit and through it are passed 

 the other end of the short piece and 



the bight of the 



longpiece,andall 



is drawn taut and 



securely seized 



with sinew. The 



1) e C k ( t t ll U S Fl0p 236 - Wlinlc harpoon head with &quot;leader.&quot; 



formed was probably looped directly into the bight of 

 the float line. 



The foreshat t is much larger than that of the model, 

 though of the same shape. No. 5&amp;lt;&amp;gt;r&amp;gt;, !7 [07], Fig. 237, 

 from Utkiavwln, is of walrus-ivory and 15.8 inches 

 long with a diameter of li inches at the butt. The 

 oblong slot at the beginning of the chamfer is to 

 receive the end of the lashing which secured this to 

 the shaft. This form of foreshaf t is very well adapted 

 to insure the unshipping of the toggle-head, but lacks 

 the special advantage of the loose-shaft, namely, that 

 under a violent lateral strain it unships without break 

 ing. The question at once suggests itself, why was 

 not the improvement that is used on all the other 

 harpoons applied to this one? In my opinion, the 

 reason for this is the same as for retaining the form 

 of toggle-head, which, as I have shown, is of an an- 



nt pattern. 



That is to say, the modern whale harpoon is the 

 same pattern that was once used for all harpoons, 

 Fin. SIT. Fun-shaft of preserved for superstitious reasons. It is a well 

 whale harpoon. known fact, that among many peoples implements, 

 ideas, and language have been preserved in connection with religious 



