IMPLEMENTS AND WEAPONS OF THE STONE AGE. 119 



and wielded by a rapid hand, they were really most 

 deadly weapon s, and they were often thrown with 

 great precision and effect. Champlain has depicted a 

 Huron warrior armed for the fight, his small war- 

 hatchet contrasting strangely with his great shield 

 and long bow. To the light and agile Indian or his 

 European prototype, the heavy mace of a mediaeval 

 warrior would have been as great an incumbrance 

 as his ponderous coat, of mail. On this subject an 

 interesting letter from Mr. Anderson, published in 

 the " Beliquias Aquitanicse," well deserves perusal. 

 Among other facts, he mentions that a small skull- 

 cracker is carried by the Western Indians in their 

 canoes to kill fish when caught. Specimens of them, 

 recently obtained by Dr. G. M. Dawson in the Queen 

 Charlotte Islands, are so elaborately and elegantly 

 carved that they might be regarded as sceptres, 

 though intended for no more noble use than that of 

 killing halibut or seals. The European aborigines 

 who speared or angled for large fish would have 

 equally needed such weapons ; and it is not unlikely 

 that some of the elaborately carved objects from the 

 French caves, dignified with the name of f{ batons of 

 command," are nothing else than fish-clubs or skull- 

 crackers. 



While on this subject, it may be as well to remark 

 that it is a mistake to suppose that heavy stone axes 

 or large spears would be required to slay such large 

 game as the urus, the woolly rhinoceros, or the mam- 

 moth. The American hunter for such purposes used 



