THE KAYAK 51 



harpoon and at the other to an inflated bladder, 

 the lance, and other weapons and instruments, to 

 which in modern times the rifle has been added, 

 are all within easy reach of the kayaker and are 

 held in place by pieces of hide stretched across 

 the deck. The white linen at the bow of the 

 kayak shown in Fig. 20 is believed to be mis- 

 taken by seals for a block of ice. A small flat piece 

 of wood suspended underneath near the bow 

 serves as a drift-rudder and helps to keep the boat 

 straight when paddled against a strong wind or 

 when it is forced backwards by the recoil of the 

 kayaker's rifle. Narrow pieces of the bones of a 

 whale are attached to the keel at both bow and 

 stern as protection against ice or the rough ground 

 on a beach. At the butt of the harpoon-shaft is a 

 bone knob or two bone 'wings': bone is used for 

 the fore-shaft of both harpoon and lance, also for 

 the barbs of the bird-dart as well as for buttons 

 and other small accessories. The fore-shaft of the 

 harpoon and lance is held by a very ingenious 

 arrangement of thongs of hide to the main shaft, 

 which keeps it in place and at the same time allows 

 the fore-shaft to be loosened and detached without 

 being broken as it yields to the sudden jerk given 

 by the diving harpooned seal. Walrus and Nar- 

 whal tusks, as well as whale-bone and in recent 

 years Reindeer antlers, supply the bone used in 

 the construction of certain parts of the kayak and 

 its accessories. The two rather narrow blades of 

 the paddle have strips of bone on the edges and at 

 the ends, the chief use of which is to prevent the 



42 



