I'.k; 



tl.c Kskiinocanicdl.. its in- 

 I have callfd tlif -Anti.- typ 

 tr(mi4;? to--)!' iiiclifs in Ifiiutl 

 till' back tliaii on ih,' l»-lly. ai 

 haiulli-. The -ical.-sl hivacl 

 thickness at tiic iiai 



I'OINT I'.AIUJOW ESKIMO 

 hi-licsl (h-ivc ofcllicicn 



' It was of what 



her shdit liow of spruce, 



1 ill section, but flatter on 



anil slijihil.\ narrowed and thickened at the 



nlth was usually about 1^ inches and the 



)iit three fourths of an inch. The ends were 



often bcutui) as in the Tatar bow, and \M're sonietiiiies separate pieces 

 mortised on. Stren.uth ami elasticity was.i;iven to tlic brittle spruce 

 by ap]ilying a iimnber of strands of sinew" to the back of the bow in 

 such a way that draw in.u the bowstrin.u stretched all these elastic cords, 

 thus addiii.u- their elasticity to that of the wood. This backing was 

 always a conlinnous ]iiece of a three ply braid of sinew, about the size 

 of stout iiack thread, and on a hir.ue bow often 40 or 50 yards long. It 

 bean, as on all Ivskiiiio bows whi<-]i 1 have been able to examine (ex- 



b 



Flit. 177.— Hoy's 



LaA\Teuce Island and 

 with an eye at one ei 

 usually the upper. Tl 

 .11- strands riiniiin- u 



mainland of Siberia— 

 ■ th.' cord h.oped over 

 id N\as then hud on the 

 d down and round the. 



nocks, as usual on the other ty]ies of bow, but alter imttiiig on a num- 

 ber of these, bcuan iiiniiiiig backward and forward between the bends 

 (if the liow was of the Tatar shape), or between corres](onding points 

 on a straight bow , where they were fastened with complicated hitches 

 around the bow in such a way that the shortest strands came to the 

 top of the backing, which was thus made to grow thicker gradually 

 toward the middle of the bow, where the greatest Strength and elas- 

 ticity were needed. When enough strands had been laid on they 

 were divided into twocpml parcels and twisted from the middle into 

 two tight cables, thus greatly increasing the tension to be overcome in 

 drawing the b(.w. These cables being secure<l to the handle of the 

 bow, the end of the cord was used to seize the whole securely to the 



This s.M/.ing and I 

 the backing very tl 

 and preventiiig tin 

 powerful bow, <apa 

 t«ld l)v a reliable u: 



itches already mentioned served to inccn'poratc 

 ghly with the bow, thus eiinalizing the strain 

 Iroiii c-racking. This made a very stiff and 

 f sendiii- an arrow with great force. We were 

 that a stone headed arrow was often driven by 



I'liort fur 188J, 



