NELSON] SEAL, WALRUS, AND WHALE SPEARS 137 



the head of an otter. The inner end of the head has a wedge shape 

 slot, in which the beveled point of the shaft is fitted; in the base of the 

 head is a hole through which a rawhide lashing is passed and wound 

 tightly around the projecting sides of the slot, holding the head firmly 

 against the shaft. A braided sinew cord is also wouhd about the shaft 

 from the head to the butt, where the featherings are held in plaqe by a 

 tight wrapping. . 



All the small spears with featherless shafts whicliwere collected 

 came from the shores of IS^ortoii sound; those with single feathering, 

 were obtained between Bering strait and the Kuskokwim, and those 

 with the double feathering from Kunivak island and the adjacent 

 mainland at Cape Vancouver, Chalitmut, and other villages of that 

 district. 



These spears are the lightest weapons of this character used by the 

 Alaskan Eskimo, and serve mainly for the- capture of the smaller seals. 

 Throwing-sticks are in general use for casting them. . 



Figure 1, plate liv, from Nunivak island, is an example of another 

 style of seal spear intended to be used with a throwing-stick; the 

 head is short and thick and the feathered butt of the shaft has attached 

 to it a bladder float, over which is a light netting of twisted sinew cord. 



WALRUS AND WHALE SPEARS 



For taking the larger, and more vigorous seals, walrus, and white 

 whales, a spear of about the same size and length is used in connection 

 with a float and float-board. The dragging of the shaft against the 

 wa^r, in the kind of spears just described, is suflScient for retarding 

 the flight of the smaller seals after they are struck, but for the larger ani- 

 mals the greater resistance of a large float on a long line' is required. 

 This latter style of implement is in use from Kotzebue souiid to Bristol 

 bay. The haft is not feathered, and the head is rather longer, and 

 slightly heavier than that on ordinary spears of the class just described. 

 The heads are of ivory or bone, and, in the region about Nuhivak .island 

 and the adjacent mainland, are commonly carved into the conventional 

 forms of wolves or land otters. 



Figure 7, plate liv, from Nunivak island, is such a spear, with ili6 

 end of the head carved to represent the head of a land otter, with blue 

 beads inlaid for eyes. •■ 



Figure 8, plate liv, from the lower Kuskokwim, is a spear with the 

 shaft carved to represent the conventionalized form of a wolf. The 

 ivory head has a w6dge shape point by which it is fitted to the shaft; 

 and is bound firmly in place by a spruce-root lashing in jilace of the 

 usual sinew or sealskin cord. 



Figure 10, plate liv, from the Yukon mouth, is a spear with the 

 float line and board attached. The barbed ivory point has a triangular 

 iron tip inserted in a slot, and is united to the head by a rod of deer- 

 horn inserted in a hole in its lower end. The point is pierced through 

 the middle for the insertion of a strong rawhide line, which passes 



