ARCTIC AMERICA AND GREENLAND 517 



is provided with a ''thrower," from which the weapon is discharged; the bladder at the other 

 end of the line being disengaged at the same moment. Usually the seal or whale to be 

 captured is approached within about 25 feet. When struck, the animal immediately dives, 

 drawing out the coiled-up line with lightning speed; should the line become fouled with the 

 kayak, or should the bladder be not released in time, the paddler is capsized, with little or 

 no hope of saving his life. If, however, all goes well, the bladder indicates the track of the 

 wounded animal; and, following this, the kayaker, when within striking distance, hurls his 

 lance from the "thrower." This operation is generally repeated several times, the lance on 

 each occasion becoming disengaged and floating on the water; finally, when the victim has 

 become thoroughly exhausted, it is approached and dispatched with the short stabbing-spear 

 or hunting-knife. 



Other weapons are the bird-spears, which also have a bladder attached, and are likewise 

 provided with additional points along the sides, which often prove effectual should the head 

 happen to miss. There is also a small but effectual bow; the stone arrow-heads for which 

 are manufactured by taps from a hammer made of the hard, jade-like stone known as nephrite. 

 Very noteworthy is the existence of a throwing-string, made of a number of sinews weighted 

 with walrus-ivory knobs; when these strike the bird at which they are hurled, they wind them- 

 selves round its legs in the same fashion as the bolas of the Indians of the Pampas. Chipped 

 flint scrapers, mounted in ivory or wooden handles, are used by the Eskimo for cleaning and 

 dressing skins; and they have likewise stone chisels. For catching salmon and other fish 

 they use a kind of spinning-tackle, made in the shape of a beetle: they also make double 



or treble hooks, with points of either bone or wire, as well as a bone sinker, with fish- 

 hooks. A fishing-rod, with a line and float, is likewise employed; but to describe this and 

 many other instruments in detail would far exceed the limits of our space. To protect their 



eyes from the glare of the snow in summer, the Eskimo employ wooden spectacles, or goggles, 



which are fastened to the head of the wearer by means of finely plaited thongs of sinew. 



Basin-shaped lamps of soapstone, furnished with 



wicks of moss, and fed by a supply of whale- or 



seal-blubber, are indispensable articles in an Eskimo 



household; without which, indeed, life would be 



absolutely impossible in these dreary regions, as they 



supply both light and heat. The age of these lamps 



must date from a very remote epoch, and must 



apparently have originated in more southern lands; 



since, it has been very justly argued, without their 



aid the Eskimo could never by any possibility have 



reached his present home. 



But Eskimo ingenuity is by no means restricted 



to the production of purely utilitarian articles, these 



people also displaying remarkable skill in carving 



ornaments in bone and ivory. The favourite designs 



are the heads of animals, although at times the 



whole body may be portrayed; and not only are 



these designs notable on account of their fidelity to 



nature, but likewise from the beauty and finish of 



their execution. Such articles may be inspected 



in great numbers and variety by the visitor to the 



ethnological galleries in the British Museum; and 



a few of the more striking types are depicted in a 



plate in Baron Nordenskiold's " Voyage of the Vega." 



Among these are the buttons or clasps attached to 



their carrying- straps, which are carved in walrus- 



Photo by M. Pierre Petlt\ [Paris. 



AN ESKIMO GIRL AND CHILD. 



