NELSON] PROJECTILE-POINT BOXES—FIREARMS 163 
A box (number 64220) from the Diomede islands represents a rude, 
heavily-made figure of a right whale cut from a piece of wood; the 
mouth and blowholes are incised; the lower surface of the body is 
excavated, forming a somewhat rounded, conical orifice on which fits a 
stopper-like cover in the shape of a seal; this is held in place by means 
of arawhide cord passing through a hole in the under surface of the 
whale, thence through two holes in the shoulders of the seal, and is 
fastened on the under surface. Toward the rear of the seal’s back a 
loop of cord is attached, the end of which passes through a hole in 
the tail of the whale and through which the cord is passed for fasten- 
ing. This box is a kind of fetich in which are kept the small spear- 
and lance-pvints used in killing whales. 
A box (number 63268) exactly like the preceding was obtained on 
St Lawrence island. 
Figure 2, plate Lxt1, shows a flattened oval box, from Cape Nome, 
representing a seal with a smaller one on its back; the latter forms a 
long, pointed, oval cover; the eyes of the larger seal are indicated by 
blue beads. The top of the box is crossed by a series of parallel 
lines extending from the middle diagonally backward toward the 
border. 
FIREARMS 
Although primitive forms of weapons are still largely used, guns are 
common everywhere among the Eskimo. The guns obtained by them 
during the early period of their contact with the Russians were 
extremely clumsy, and the Russians brought with them the forked 
supports for these weapons which they were accustomed to use in 
Siberia. In some of the more retired parts of the country between the 
lower Yukon and the Kuskokwim these supports still exist, as the poor 
quality of the guns and the scarcity‘of ammunition render its aid nec- 
essary in hunting to secure a fair degree of accuracy and success. 
Figure 51, plate Lx111, illustrates one of these forked supports, from 
Chalitmut, having two legs tipped with ivory points and a crossbar of 
ivory to hold them in position. Along each of the three outer faces of 
these legs isa groove in which small, round, ivory pegs are set at inter- 
vals; at the upper end the support has a rounded head in which is a 
deep slot; through the sides is a hole in which fits an ivory pin, fas- 
tened by arawhide cord. <A deerhorn disk is fitted into the slot and 
is held in place by a pin; it has a long, flattened projection on one side 
which is grooved to receive the gun barrel and has three holes for the 
lashings by which it was secured; as this disk moved freely on the pin 
the support folded down parallel to the gunstock when being carried, 
and could be readily set in position when needed. 
Figure 24, plate Lx1u1, from Kigiktauik; figure 25 of the same plate, 
from Chalitmut; and figure 26, from Kushunuk, illustrate examples of 
the pieces of deerhorn intended for securing the lower side of the gun 
barrel to connect the forked rest with the gun. 
