Implements and Artefacts of the North-east Greenlanders. 389 



ever, the shaft has not been bevelled and lashed to the surface of the 

 bone piece, but inserted in the natural hollow of the tooth, where frag- 

 ments of wood are still visible. The fore end is missing; broken 

 off, probably for some considerable length; just above the bevelled 

 surface the thickness is 2'9 3'4 cm. 



Here we evidently have before us one of the harpoons, known 

 through older descriptions, in which the bone-piece constitutes the 

 greater part of the weapon l . A splendid example of this type 2 was 

 brought home by the second German North Pole Expedition from 

 Little Pendulum Island. 



The loose shaft of harpoons for use in kayaks is represented 

 by the following specimens: 



L. 3432, Renskseret, house 131 (PL XV, 2). Of antler; length 275 cm.; 

 nearly rectangular in transverse section; 8*5 cm. from the butt end a line 

 hole has been bored through the broad sides. The broadest part (2'7x l'7cm.) 

 occurs immediately in front of this; from here it tapers gradually towards 

 the apex, which is truncated, and towards the butt end, which terminates in 

 a conical tap, 3 cm. long. 



L. 3481, Renskseret, house 132 (PL XV, 4). A fragment, 5'4 cm. in length, 

 of a specimen similar to the preceding. It is broken off at the line hole, 

 which is situated 4*2 cm. from the butt end and immediately in front of the 

 conical termination; at the posterior margin of the line hole is seen a line 

 groove, extending backward. 



The lance, with movable joint between the loose shaft and the 

 shaft, but with a fixed blade, is represented only by one specimen, 

 and this has even been subject to alteration at a later date. 



L. 3117 a, Thomas Thomsens Nses, near tent 48 (PL XV, 1). Length 

 24 cm.; rounded rhomboid in transverse section. The maximum circum- 

 ference occurs 3 cm. from the butt, where it is 3'2 cm. broad and 2 cm. 

 thick. From here it narrows abruptly to a conical tang; in the other direc- 

 tion it tapers gradually without losing much in thickness. The tip, for a 

 distance of 3'5 cm., has been pointed by means of a few rough cuts; this is 

 evidently a later alternation made after the tip had broken off; at the ex- 

 treme point are seen traces of the posterior portion of the blade slit. Two 

 line holes, 2 cm. apart, have been bored obliquely through the broad fa- 

 ces, parallel to each other in the middle line; the anterior hole is at a di- 

 stance of about 8 cm. from the butt end. On that face where the openings 

 of the holes are furthest from the butt end, short line grooves extend back- 

 wards from both openings. 



1 Cf. Ross, Plate opposite p. 102. 



- Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin, No. IV A 190; cf. KOLDEWEY, p. 603, Fig. 10. 



It is 89-5 cm. long and has in 3 places in its rear part holes for the reception 



of the thong. 

 XLIV. 28 



