490 



THE CENTRAL ESKIMO. 



tliat of the unaug, in the second. At right angles to the tikaguug a 

 small ivory knoh is inserted in the shaft and serves to hold the har- 

 poon line. At this part the shaft is greatly flattened and the cross 

 section becomes dhloiii; or rhombic. At the toj) it is tenoned, to be 

 inserted into tlic HKiiticr of the ivory head (qatirn). The latter fits 

 so closely on tLf tcnuii tliat it sticks without being either riveted or 

 tied together. The qatirn is represented in Fig. 419. Into the cavity 

 at its top a walrus tusk is inserted and forms with it a ball and socket 

 joint (igimang). 



The tusk and the qatirn are fastened to each other in a most in- 

 genious way, which may be readily made oiit from the engraving 

 (Fig. 420). The principal effect of this arrangement of the holes and 

 the thong is that the tusk is kept steady by two parallel thongs 

 that prevent it from tipping over and only allow a movement in 

 the ijlane of the flattening of the shaft as soon as any considerable 

 force is api^lied to the tusk. 

 The harpoon head used in connection with this weapon is the to- 

 kang. To prevent it from being injured, 

 it is carried in a wooden sheath (Fig. 421). 

 The iron point is secured by a string of 

 whalebone or sealskin; the lower part is 

 fastened to the sheath as indicated in the 

 figure. The tokang differs from the naulang 

 m that it is larger and stouter. In some 

 cases great care is bestowed upon tlie finish- 

 ing of this important weapon. 



All iiitcri'sf iug specimen of this variety of 



h.ir] 11 lieail was found by Kumlien in 



CuiiiherlaiKl Sound (Fig. 422). It was taken 

 from a whale and differs from the device of 

 that country. The back is bent similar to 

 that of the iron naiilang and the barbs have 

 two points each instead of one. The front 

 l)art is sharply ridged. The specimen is 

 very nicely finished. A few very old har- 

 poon heads of the same pattern are depos- 

 ited in the British Museum and were of 

 Hudson Strait manufacture ; therefore I 

 conclude that Kumlien's specimen is from 

 the same part of the country. 



Fig. 423 represents an ancient liarpoon head of the same style, the 

 locality of which is unfortunately unknown. The specimen is of 

 particular interest, as it shows the method of fastening the stone to 

 the ivory part. A similar specimen is in the collections of the British 

 Museum ; it formed part of the Sloane collection. Both these speci- 

 mens show perforations at the lower end of the harpoon head which 



Fig «i Tcikang oi lnipo"i 

 head taken horn a ^^ hale m Cum 

 IjerUnd Sound (National Muse 

 uni, Wa.shington 34069 * ; 



