MURDOCH. } HARPOONS. 219 
longer diameter, while the upper side is produced into a long, four- 
sided spur, the barb. The line hole is a round hole about one-fourth 
inch in diameter, a little back of the middle of the body, at right angles 
to its longer diameter. From this, on each side, run shallow line grooves 
to the base of the body, gradually deepening as they run into the line hole. 
In the middle of the base of the body is the deep, cup-shaped shaft- 
socket, which fits the conical tip of the shaft or fore shaft. In 
the tip of the body is cut, at right angles to the longer diam- 
eter of the body, and therefore at right angles to the plane of 
the barb, the narrow blade slit, 1-1 inches deep, into which fits, 
secured by a single median rivet of whalebone, the flat, thin 
blade of metal (brass in this case). This is triangular, with 
curved edges, narrowly beveled on both faces, and is 1-9 inches 
long and 1 broad. 
The body is sometimes cut into faces so as to be hexagonal 
instead of elliptical in section as in Fig. 207 (No. 89791 [873]), 4% 
and intermediate forms are common. When such a head is x4 997 
mounted for use a bight of the line or leader, a short line for Harpoon 
connecting the head with the main line, runs through the line nea. 
hole so that the head is slung in a loop in the end of the line. The tip 
of the shaft is then fitted into the shaft socket and the line brought 
down the shaft with the parts of the loop on each side resting in the line 
grooves and is made fast, usually so that a slight pull will detach it from 
the shaft. When the animal is struck the blade cuts a wound large 
enough to allow the head to pass in beyond the barb. The struggles of 
the animal make the head slip off the tip of 
the shaft and the strain on the line imme- 
diately toggles it across the wound. The 
toggle head of the whale harpoon is called 
kia¢ron, of the walrus harpoon, tuke, and of 
the seal harpoon, nauly. They are all of 
essentially the same pattern, differing chiefly 
in size. 
There is in the collection an interesting 
series of old harpoon-_heads, showing a num- 
ber of steps in the development of the modern 
pattern of harpoon head from an ancient form. 
These heads seem to have been preserved as 
amulets; in fact one of them is still attached 
toa belt. They are not all of the same kind, 
Ancient bone harpoon heal. ut since the different kinds as mentioned 
above practically differ only in size, their development was probably 
the same. The earliest form in the collection is No. 89382 [1383], Fig. 
208, from Nuwtk, which is evidently very old, as it is much worn and 
weathered. It is a single flat piece of fine-grained bone 3 inches long, 
pointed at the end and provided with a single unilateral barb. Be- 
Fie, 208.— 
