87 



A larger snare or noose is used for ptarmigan and hares. 

 Single looped traps are set in the holes of squirrels. The 

 children catch the small rodents, with which the tundra 

 teems, with miniature snares, or shoot them and the small 

 birds with toy bows and arrows. Birds are pursued in the 

 kayak during the moulting season. When they dive, their 

 direction can be traced by the bubbles left on the surface of the 

 water. An Eskimo, by tiring them out, can catch them with his 

 hand; this is considered a sport rather than serious hunting. 

 Another feat is to run down a young fawn in the spring when the 

 snow is heavy and to capture it alive. 



The sling (Plate XVII c) furnishes a great deal of amuse- 

 ment for the half-grown boys who will follow waterfowl along the 

 shore with it for hours, but although they attain considerable 

 dexterity, it seems to yield more pleasure than profit. I have 

 no information that the bird bola is found among the Labrador 

 Eskimo. 



FISHING. 



The most important fish of the many kinds that visit the 

 Labrador coast, from a native standpoint, are the salmon and 

 trout, and on these two they mainly depend. Great quantities 

 of cod are now taken, thanks to missionary teaching, but did not 

 constitute so important a place as salmon in the original native 

 economy. When the ice first breaks up, the salmon spawn. 

 While the "run" is on, they are taken in large numbers with the 

 fish spear (kuqivuq). The fish spear has a long, slender shaft from 

 12 to 15 feet long, which widens towards the end to accommodate 

 a triple prong. This is formed of a straight point in the middle 

 and two side barbs (Figure 27). The side pieces slope outward, 

 and their elasticity is further increased by binding to the shaft 

 with sinew. In the older specimens they are of bone or ivory 

 with antler or iron barbs; in modern specimens, of wood with 

 iron barbs turning downward to meet the point which projects 

 from the middle of the shaft. The turning in of the barbs 

 admits of the fish being pierced by the centre point, when the 

 barbs spring out and securely hold it. When salmon are not 

 plentiful, a small ivory or stone miniature fish is used as a lure. 



