292 



THE POINT BABROW ESKIMO. 



inches long, tapering to a sharp rounded point at one end, and tapered 

 slightly to the other, which terminates in a small rounded knob. It is 

 very neatly made from, rather old yellow ivory, and ornamented on all 

 four faces with conventional incised patterns colored with red ochre. 



This implement is used in putting on the backing of a bow to raise 

 parts of the cord when an end is to be passed under and in tucking in the 

 ends in finishing off a whipping. It was probably also used in putting 

 whippings or seizings on any other implements. We collected 10 of these 

 tools, all quite similar, and made of walrus ivory, yellow from age and 

 handling. They vary in length from 4 to inches, and are always 

 contracted at the upper end into a sort of neck or handle, surmounted 

 by a knob or crossbar. No. 89403 [836] Fig. 284, from Utkiavwffi has 



FIG. 281. -Marline spike. 



the crossbar carved very neatly into the figure of an Amphipod crus 

 tacean without the legs. The eyes, mouth, and vent are indicated 

 by small round holes filled with some black substance, and there is a 

 row of eight similar holes down the middle of the back. The tip of this 

 tool, which is 5-9 inches long, has been concaved to an edge so as to 

 make a feather-setter of it. Through the knob at the butt there is soine- 



I lG. 283. Marline spike. 



times a large round eye, as in Fig. 285 (No. 89404 [842] from Utkiavwln, 

 4-7 inches long). These tools are sometimes plain, like the specimens 

 last figured, and sometimes ornamented with conventional patterns of 

 incised lines, colored with red ocher, like the others. 



The twisters (No. 89405 [902]) are flat four-sided rods of walrus ivory, 

 respectively 4-4 and 4-7 inches long. At each end one broad face is 

 raised into a low transverse ridge about 0-1 inch high and the other 

 rounded off, with the ridge 011 opposite faces at the two ends. They 

 are ornamented on all four fanes with longitudinal incised lines, colored 

 with red ocher. 



The use of these tools, which was discovered by actual experiment 

 after our return to this country 1 is for twisting the strands of the sinew 

 backing after it has been put on the bow into the cables already de- 



1 See the writer s paper on Eskimo bows, Smithsonian Report for 1884, pt. 2, p. Iil5. 



