MURDOCH. ] BOWS. MUS}Yi 
one of these bows wholly through a polar bear, “if there was no bone.” 
Three bows only were obtained: One from Nuwitk, one from Utkiav- 
win (a lad’s bow), and one from Sidaru. 
The bow from Utkiaywin, No. 89904 [786] (Fig. 177), though small, 
is in some respects nearer the type than the other 
two, and has been selected for description. The body 
of the bow is a single piece of the heart of a log of 
spruce driftwood 364 inches long, elliptical in section, 
flattened more on the back than on the belly. It is 
tapered to the nocks, which are small club-shaped 
knobs, and narrowed and thickened at the handle. 
The backing is of round three-ply braid of sinew in 
one continuous piece. The string is a round four-ply 
braid with a loop at each end, made by tying a single 
knot in the standing part, passing the end through 
this and taking a half hitch with it round the standing 
part (Fig. 178). The upper loop is a little the larger. 
No. 89245 [25| (Fig. 179), from Nuwitk, is a full- 
te sized man’s bow, which is old and 
has been long in use. It is of the 
CSet= same material, and is 47:3 inches 
long. Its greatest breadth is 14 
Fia. 178.—Loop at end of inches, and it is 0-8 inch thick at 
howeming: thehandle. Itis slightly narrowed 
and thinned off from the broadest part to about 6 
inches from each tip, and is then gradually thickened 
to the nocks and bent up so that the ends make an 
vom Fe 
a 
disnnda 
angle of about 45° with the bow when unstrung. The : 
ends are separate pieces fitted on at the bends. The 4 
ends of the body are chamfered off laterally to a wedge z 
which fits into a corresponding notch in the end piece, is 
making a scarf 34 inches long, which is strengthened 
by a curved strap of antler, convex above and thick- 
est in the middle, fitting into the bend on the back. 
The joint is held together wholiy by the backing. 
We never saw bows of this pattern made and con- 
sequently did not learn how the bending was accom- 
plished. The method is probably the same as that 
seen by Capt. Beechey in 1826, at Kotzebue Sound 
(Voyage, p. 575). The bow was wrapped in wet we.179—1arcebowfrom 
shavings and held over the fire, and then pegged Nuwik. 
down on the ground (probably on one side), into shape. A strip of raw- 
hide (the split skin of the bearded seal, with the grain side out), 1 inch 
wide, runs along the back from bend to bend under the backing. The 
chief peculiarity of this bow is the third cable, above the other two, and 
the great and apparently unnecessary complication of the hitches. 
\ ir sems PTE 
