ETHNOLOGY. 35 



Of prime importance to the Eskimo is his wiauy, or spear. At the 

 present day, the sealing- spear is often made from an old whale-lance, 

 having a wooden handle and an iron harpoon head (vide sketches). 

 The socket of the lance is put on the opposite end of the handle, and is 

 used for a variety of purposes. This kind of spear is very useful to the 

 Eskimo in catching the seals in their atluks through the ice. They are 

 extremely expert in the use of this weapon, and possess such marvelous 

 patience that they will stand by a seal's atluk all day awaiting the re- 

 turn of the animal. 



This spear is carried on all occasions wherever they go and whatever 

 kind of game they pursue. The opposite end of the spear from which 

 the harpoon is fastened is also their principal tool in building fox-traps 

 of ice, cutting down hummocks so as to get their sledges over the shore- 

 ice, &c. Not the least important use of this instrument is to sound the 

 ice with it. In traveling they very often come to places where the 

 rapid running tide has worn the ice very thin, and by means of this 

 spear they carefully feel their way along. They will even cross on a 

 Hoe that is completely rotten by feeling around till they get upon a more 

 solid spot and then advancing. They are very much averse to getting 

 into the waiter, as none of them are able to swim. 



The harpoon-head used with this spear is made of iron, and is about 

 three and a half inches in length and one inch between the outside tips 

 of the barbs. They manufacture them entirely by filing, and will sit 

 and file for many days till they get the instrument in the desired form. 



For whales and walrus they use a much different weapon, the same, 

 we imagine, as they used before the whites came among them. It is a 

 large, awkward, bulky -looking affair, with a shaft made from the horn 

 of Monodon monoceros, or from parts of a whale's jawbone, ingeniously 

 lashed together, when wood is not procurable. Some have the handle 

 composed of as many as eight to a dozen pieces, beautifully and com- 

 pactly lashed together, till the whole is as firm as though it were com- 

 posed of a single piece. 



Although such large spears were not rare among these natives, we 

 found difficulty in getting them to part with them. A favorite harpoon- 

 head is also hard to procure, though they may not have used it for years. 

 Some considerable value seems to be attached to these old implements, 

 especially if they have been successful with them in former times. We 

 depend more upon the illustration here given of this spear than upon 

 the choice of words. Their old harpoon-head for seals was probably 



