NELSON] ^ PROJECTILE-POINT BOXES — FIREARMS 163 



A box (number G4220) from the Diomede islands represents a rude, 

 heavily-made figure of a right whale cut from a piece of wood; the 

 mouth and blowholes are incised; the lower surface of the body is 

 excavated, forming a somewhat rounded, conical orifice on which fits a 

 stopper-like cover in the shape of a seal; this is held in place by means 

 of a rawhide cord passing through a hole in the under surface of the 

 whale, thence through two holes in the shoulders of the seal, and is 

 fastened on the under surface. Toward the rear of the seal's back a 

 loop of cord is attached, the end of which passes through a hole in 

 the tail of the whale and through which the cord is passed for fasten- 

 ing. This box is a kind of fetich in which are kept the small spear- 

 and lance-points used in killing whales. 



A box (number 632G8) exactly like the preceding was obtained on 

 St Lawrence island. 



Figure 2, plate lxii, shows a flattened oval box, from Cape Nome, 

 representing a seal with a smaller one on its back ; the latter forms a 

 long, pointed, oval cover; the eyes of the larger seal are indicated by 

 blue beads. The top of the box is crossed by a series of parallel 

 lines extending from the middle diagonally backward toward the 

 border. 



FIREARMS 



Although primitive forms of weapons are still largely used, guns are 

 common everywhere among the Eskimo. The guns obtained by them 

 during the early period of their contact with the Eussians 'were 

 extremely clumsy, and the Russians brought with them the forked 

 supports for these weapons which they were accustomed to use in 

 Siberia. In some of the more retired parts of the country between the 

 lower Yukon and the Kuskokwim these supports still exist, as the poor 

 quality of the guns and the scarcity of ammunitioi\ render its aid nec- 

 essary in hunting to secure a fair degree of accuracy and success. 



Figure 31, plate lxiii, illustrates one of these forked supports, from 

 Chalitmut, having two legs tipped with ivory points and a crossbar of 

 ivory to hold them in position. Along each of the three outer faces of 

 these legs is a groove in which small, round, ivory pegs are set at inter- 

 vals; at the upper end the support has a rounded head in which is a 

 deep slot; through the sides is a hole in which fits an ivory pin, fas- 

 tened by a rawhide cord. A deerhorn disk is fitted into the slot and 

 is held in place by a pin; it has a long, flattened projection on one side 

 which is grooved to receive the gun barrel and has three holes for the 

 lashings by which it was secured; as this disk moved freely on the pin 

 the support folded down parallel to the gunstock when being carried, 

 and could be readily set in position when needed. 



Figure 24, plate lxiii, from Kigiktauik; figure 25 of the same plate, 

 from Chalitmut; and figure 26, from Kushunuk, illustrate examples of 

 the pieces of deerhorn intended for securing the lower side of the gun 

 barrel to connect the forked rest with the gun. 



