"'^'"'°^"1 HARPOONS. 223 



Tlirowhiff-harpoons are always tlnowii rr,,ni tli.- lian.I witliuiit a 

 throwiug-board or other assistance, and are of two sizes one lo ■ d'. 

 walmsaiidbeardedseal, and one for tlie small seals, liolh h i\ i- • |,> ..■ 

 shaft of wood to the tip of which is attached a hea\y lionc or i\,,i'\ tor" 

 shaft, iLSually of greater diameter than the shaft and sonicw hat cluli- 

 shaped. This serves the special imrposc of -ivim; w.'ii^ht to tlie head 

 of the harjioon, so it can be darted with a snre aim. The native name 

 of this part of the spear, nkuniailnta (dreenlandie. .ikimailiitaK, /rr/y,/), 

 indicates its design. This coTitrivanee of weight in-- the head of tin' 

 harpoou with a heavy foresha ft is pecniiar to the western I'IsIumio < »n 

 all the eastern harpoons (see tii^nres rcfcired to alio\c and the Alnsenm 

 collections) the foreshaft is a sinijile cai)of bone no laiycr than the shaft 

 the tip of which it protects. Between the foreshaft and the tousle head 

 is interposed the loose .shaft (i'giinu), a slender rod of bone wliose lii) 

 fits into the shaft socket of the head, while its bntt tits hxtsely in a socket 

 in the tip of the foreshaft. It is secured to the shaft by a thong jnst 

 long enongh to aUow it to be unshipped from the ftn'esliaft. This not 

 only prevents the loose shaft from breaking under a lateral strain, but 

 by its play facilitates unshipping the head. On these harpoons intended 

 for throwing, this h)ose shaft is always slioit. This brin.^s the wei-ht 

 of the foreshaft close to the head, while it leaves space enongh for the 

 head to iieuetrate bcyoinl the barb. 



The walrusharpoon varies in size, being ada|)ted to the streni;tli and 

 stature of the owner. Of the si\ in our collection, the lon-cst, when 

 mounted for use, is !) feet (i inches long, and the shortest 5 feet S 

 inches. The ordinary l(>ngtli appears to be about 7 feet. It has a long, 

 heavy shaft (ipna) of wood, usually between r, ami feet long and 

 tapering fr<un a dianu-tcr of 1.] inches at the head to about 1 inch at the 

 butt. The iK'ad is not nsuafly fastened directly to the line, but has a 

 leader of double thong 1 to L' feet hmg, with a becket at the end into 

 which the main line is loojx'd or hitched. At the other end of the line, 

 which i.s about 30 feet long, is another becket to wliich is fastened a 

 float consisting of a whole sealskin inflated. When the head is fitted 

 on the tip of the loose shaft the line is brought down to the middle of 

 the shaft and hooked by nu'ans of a little becket to an ivory peg (ki'lerb- 

 wln) projecting from the side of th(^ shaft. The eastern Eskimo have, 

 ill place of the simi)le becket, a neat little contrivance consisting of a 

 plate of ivory lashed to the line with a large slot in it which hooks over 

 the catch, but nothing of the sort was observed at Point P.arrow. 



The harpoon thus mounted is poised in the right hand with tlu' fore- 

 finger resting against a curved ivory projection (ti'ka) and darted like a 

 wliite man's harpoon, the float and line being thrown overboard at the 

 same time. When a walrus is struck the head slijis oft" ami to-.^li's as al- 

 ready described; the line detaches itselffrom the catch, leaving the shaft 

 free to th.at an<l be i)icked up. The float is now fastened to the wal- 

 rus, and, like the shaft of the seal dart, both shows his whereabouts 



