MURDOCH. } HARPOONS. 221 
The next step was to obtain greater penetration by substituting a 
triangular blade of stone for the barbed bone point, with its breadth 
still in the plane of the body barb. This blade was either 
of slate (No. 89744 [969] from Nuwik) or of flint, as in Fig. 
212 (No. 89748 [928], also from Nuwttk). Both of these are 
whale harpoons, such as are sometimes used even at the 
present day. 
Before the introduction of iron it was discovered that if 
the blade were inserted at right angles to the plane of the 
body barb the harpoon would have a surer hold, since the 
strain on the line would always draw it at right angles to 
the length of the wound cut by the blade. This is shown 
in Fig. 213 (No. 56620 [199], a walrus harpoon head from 
Utkiavwin), which has the slate blade inserted in this posi- 
tion. Substituting a metal blade for the stone one gives 
us the modern toggle head, as already described. That the 
insertion of the stone blade preceded the rotation of the 
plane of the latter is, I think, conclusively shown by the 
whale harpoons! already mentioned, in spite of the fact that 
we have a bone har- 
poon head in the col- 
lection, No. 89378 
[1261], figured in 
Point Barrowreport, 
which is exactly like yyg. 912 Har. 
No. 89379 [795], ex- poo head, bone 
cept that it has the pee 
blade at right angles to the plane 
of the body barb. This is, how- 
ever, a newly made model in rein- 
deer antler of the ancient harpoon, 
and was evidently made by aman 
so used tothe modern pattern that 
he forgot this important distine- 
tion. The development of this 
spear head has been earried no 
further at Point Barrow. At one 
or two places, however, namely, 
at Cumberland Gulf in the east? 
and at Sledge Island in the west 
Hie.215.—Harpoonihead, hone /and atone: (as Shown in Mr. Nelson’s collec- 
tion), they go a step further in making the head of the seal harpoon, 
body and blade, of one piece of iron. The shape, however, is the 
same as those with the ivory or bone body. 
‘Compare, also, the walrus harpoon figured by Capt. Lyon, Parry’s Second \Voyage, Pl. opposite 
p. 550, Fig. 13. 
2See Kumlien, Contributions, p- 35, and Boas, ‘‘ Central Eskimo,” p. 473, Fig. 393, 
