152 THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 
lashing which holds these two sections together is of braided sinew. Of 
the blades, the only sharp-pointed one, No. 56684 [228] (Fig. 100), is like 
the blade of 89584 [1107], but rather larger. The others. 
all have rounded or truncated points and are not over 34 
inches long, including the tang, but otherwise closely 
resemble the blades already described. They all show 
signs of considerable age and several of them are nicked 
and gapped on the edge from use. Knives of this class 
are not like any in use at the present day, and it was 
not possible to learn definitely whether this shape served 
any special purpose. We were, however, given to under- 
stand that the sharp-pointed ones were sometimes, at 
least, used for stabbing. Perhaps they were used specially 
for cutting up the smaller animals. 
The second class, of which there are four specimens, is 
not unlike the first, but the blade is short and broad, 
with strongly curved edges, and always sharp pointed, 
while the haft is always much longer than the blade. 
Instead of being evenly beveled off on both faces from the 
middle line to the edges, they are either slightly convex, 
worked down gradually to the edge, or flat with narrowly beveled 
edges. They are all small knives, the longest being 8:3 inches long, 
with the blade projecting 
3-1 inches from the haft, 
and the shortest 4-9 inches, 
with the blade projecting 
only 1:4 inches. 
Fig. 101, No. 89583 [1805], 
is a knife of this class, with 
the blade a nearly equilat- 
eral triangle (1-4 inches long and 1:5 inches wide at the base), with 
a flat wooden haft as wide as the 
blade and 34 inches long, cleft at 
the tip and lashed with thirteen or 
fourteen turns of sinew braid. The 
holes near the butt of the haft were 
probably to receive alanyard. Fig. 
102, No. 89591 [1016], is another form of the same class. The blade is 
secured by a single rivet of 
wood. 
The third class consists 
of large knives, with long, 
broad, lanceolate blades, 
and short straight hafts. 
There is only one complete 
specimen, No. 89592 [1002], Fig. 103. This has a blade of soft, light green- 
Fie. 100.—Slate 
knife-blade. 
Fic, 101.—Slate knife. 
1 
4 
FG, 102.—Slate knife. 
Fie. 103.—Slate hunting-knife. 
a 
