154 THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 
{1054| has the back more curved than the edge, the haft of antler and 
the lashing of whalebone. All three are of yery rude workmanship. 
No, 89587 [1587] is a small knife with a truncated point and the tang 
imbedded without lashing in the end of a roughly made haft of bone. 
Most of the blades are those of knives similar to the type, more 
smoothly finished, but No, 56712 [226] (Fig. 107a) is noticeable for the 
extreme “belly” of the edge and the 
smoothness with which the faces are 
beveled from back to edge. Such 
knives approach the woman’s round 
knife (ulu, ulu’ra). No. 89601 [776] 
(Fig. 107) is almost double-edged, 
the back being rounded off. Fig. 
108, No. 89651 [1081], is a very re- 
markable form of slate knife, of 
which this was the only specimen 
b seep. In shape it somewhat resem_ 
IG. 107.--Blades of knives. bles a hatchet, having a broad tri- 
angular blade with astrongly curved cutting edge, along the back of which 
is fitted a stout haft of bone 124 incheslong. The bladeis of soft, dark 
purple slate, ground smooth, and resembles the modern knives in having 
the sharp cutting edge beveled almost wholly on one face. The haftis 
the foreshaft of an old whale harpoon, and is made of whale’s bone. 
The back of the blade is fitted into a deep narrow saw cut, and held on 
by three very neat lashings of narrow strips of whalebone, each of which 
passes through a hole drilled through the blade close to the haft and 
through a pair of vertical holes in the haft on each side of the blade, 
These holes converge towards the back of the haft and are joined by 
a deep channel, so that the lashing is countersunk below the surface of 
Fic. 108.—Peculiar slate knife. 
the haft. This implement was brought down from Nuwtk and offered 
for sale as a knife anciently used for cutting off the blubber of a whale. 
The purchaser got the impression that it was formerly attached to a 
long pole and used like a whale spade. On more careful examination 
after our return it was discovered that the haft was really part of an old 
harpoon and that the lashings and holes to receive them were evidently 
newer than the haft. 
