474 THE CENTRAL ESKIMO. 



the eye formed by the tagusiarbing. As soon as a strain is put upon 

 the naulang the line parts from the shaft, as the taguta is only squeezed 

 into the eye and is easily detached. The harpoon line passes tlirough 

 the uabiring or is fastened l)y a slipping hitch to the shaft of the 

 unang. 



If the unang has a nabiring the line passes through this loop. A 

 few feet below it a small piece of ivory (akparaiktung) is attached to 

 the line, acting as a hook after it has run out. It catches the nabiring 

 and drags the harpoon along, thus impeding the movements of the 

 animal (see Fig. oOl). 



The rest of the line is coiled up and held by the hunter. The end 

 is doubled so as to form a loop which serves as a handle when the line 

 runs out with the diving seal. Generally, a small piece of leather 

 (Fig. ;594) with two slits at one end and an ivory clasp (cplertuang) 

 at the other is fastened to this loop; it serves to hold the bights to- 

 gether when the line is detached from the harpoon and rolled up. 

 Some art is bestowed on the manufacture of this clasp (Fig. 3!)4). 

 Usually it represents a seal, the head of which forms a hook on which 

 the slits can be fastened. The clasp is either tied or otherwise se- 

 cured to the leather strap. Some specimens in the British Museum, 

 which are about one hundred and fifty years old, show that these im- 

 plements have not undergone any change during that time. 



Parry describes another harpoon head used by the Iglulirmiut for 

 the unang. He calls it a siatko (Fig. 395). I myself have not seen 

 any of a similar pattern, b\it Kumlien gives a sketch of one found 

 in a grave at Exeter Sound (Fig. ;]9G). The principal difference be- 

 tween the naulang and the siatko is that the edge of the former is 

 parallel to the hole throiigh which the line passes, while in the latter 

 tlieir directions are vertical to each other. The head of the whaling 

 harpoon (see Fig. 43G) acts on the same principle. 



