150 H. P. Sreenssy. 
That the transition from the sea-coast period to the fishing period is not 
due to a gradual development, but is occasioned by the fact that, somehow 
or other, a new culture-element, the fishing net, was introduced, really can hardly 
be doubted. On the other hand, some authors, and among them Baxnson, 
are of opinion, that from the beginning of the fishing period to the arrival of 
the Russians a constant and gradual development from fishers to hunters has 
taken place, and he mentions, in support of his opinion, that during the hunting 
period there has been a transition from the implements of former times to the 
later Eskimo form of implements. This is quite right; but the main point to 
be remembered is, that these previous forms of hunting weapons are not mere 
lance-heads, but real harpoon-heads of an older Eskimo type. These bone har- 
poon-heads occur suddenly at the transition to the layer of the hunting period, 
and it should be remembered that on the Aleutian Islands these forms are used 
to this day, along with the more perfect and skilfully made harpoon-heads of 
more recent date. Consequently, this development in the form of the imple- 
ments does not differ from that which has also taken place among the Eskimo 
themselves, and which may be traced up, for instance, in Greenland. 
These observations alone, appear to favour the belief that the transition 
from the fishing to the hunting period must likewise be due to the introduction 
of new elements of culture, which in this case must be harpoons and kayaks, 
as here the use of the harpoon would be impossible without the kayak. It is 
probable, of course, that even the Aleutian fishers possessed a water-craft, but 
it was not the kayak with its appurtenances. The only probable surmise as 
to how. they have come into possession of this highly complicated contrivance . 
is that they have borrowed it from the Eskimo. As they gradually taught them- 
selves its full use and utility the mammals would play a more and more impor- 
tant part where food was concerned, and their skin would become an impor- 
tant factor in the making of boats, clothes and houses. This view is supported 
by the fact that such implements as: are used for skin dressing are not found 
until the lower layers, which belong to the hunting period, are reached. 
Dat himself was of opinion that the boat of the fishing period gradually 
developed into the kayak, but that the former, owing to its having been very 
simple and without any ornamentations, had not left any such traces as the 
kayak had, of which some of the small ivory pieces for the. paddles, and other 
ornaments, are found in the layers of mammal remains. But, in reality, such 
a development quite lineally is inconceivable in the case of the sea-kayak, the 
use of which necessitates the co-operation of so many heterogeneous elements, 
such as harpoon, throwing-board, lance, etc., each of which necessarily must have 
had its own history of evolution before it was taken in use on the kayak.. Be- 
sides, Da1’s own investigations of the layers of mammal remains show distinctly 
that the Aleuts immediately began to hunt aquatic mammals, the pursuit of 
which required the co-operation of the kayak and harpoon, i.e. the fully 
developed sea-kayak; the bones first found in the kitchen middens being those 
of the Eared Seals (Sea-bear and Sea-lion), two Phoca-species, Phocaena vome- 
rina, Delphinus orca and in some places of the walrus. Only in the upper layers 
