234 THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 
the small breathing hole. It carries a ntale like the other harpoon, but 
has only a short line, the end of which is made fast permanently to the 
shaft. Such harpoons are used by all Eskimo wherever they are in the 
habit of watching for seals at their breathing holes. The slender part 
of the shaft, however, is not always loose.! The foreshaft is simply a 
stout ferrule for the end of the shaft. These weapons are in general use 
at Point Barrow and are very neatly made. 
We obtained two specimens, of which No, 89910 [1694], Fig. 227, will 
serve as the type. The total length of this spear when rigged for use 
is 5 feet 38 inches. The shaft is of spruce, 205 inches long and 1-1 inches 
in the middle, tapering to 0-9 at the ends. At the butt is inserted, as 
before, an ivory ice pick (tttu) of the form already described, 153 inches 
long and lashed in with sinew braid. The foreshaft (katt) is of walrus 
ivory, nearly cylindrical, 52 inches long and 0-9 inch in diameter, 
shouldered at the butt and fitted into the tip of the shaft with a round 
tang. The latter is very neatly whipped with a narrow strip of white 
whalebone, which makes eleven turns and has the end of the last turn 
forced into a slit in the wood and wedged with a round wooden peg. 
Under this whipping is the bill of a tern as a charm for good luck. (As 
the boy who pointed this out to me said, ‘ Lots of seals.”) 
The loose shaft (igimt) is of bone, whale’s rib or jaw, and has two 
transverse holes above the shoulder to receive the end of the assembling 
i line (sAbromia), which not only holds the loose shaft in 
place, but also connects the other parts of the shaft so 
* that in case the wood breaks the pieces will not be 
* dropped. It is a long piece of seal thong, of which one 
* end makes a turn round the loose shaft between the 
ee appt holes; the other end is passed through the lower hole, 
of lashing on shaft. then through the upper and carried down to the tip of 
the shaft, where it is hitched just below the whalebone whipping, as fol- 
lows: three turns are made round the shaft, the first over the standing 
part, the second under, and the third over it; the end then is passed 
under 3, over 2, and under 1 (Fig. 228), and all drawn taut; it then runs 
down the shaft almost to the butt-lashing and is secured with the same 
hitch, and the end is whipped around the butt of the ice pick with five 
turns. The head (nate) is of the ordinary pattern, 2-8 inches long, with 
a copper blade and antler body. The line (tikaktin) is a single piece of 
seal thong 9 feet long, and is fastened to the head without a leader, by 
simply passing the end through the line-hole, doubling it over and 
stopping it to the standing part so as to make a becket 21 inches long. 
The other end is made fast round the shaft and assembling line just 
back of the middle, as follows: An eye is made at the end of the line, 
by cutting a slit close to the tip and pushing a bight of the line through 
this. The end then makes a tum round the shaft, and the other end, 
with the head, is passed through this eye and drawn taut. When 
mounted for use, the head is fitted on the tip of the loose shaft as usual 
! Parry, Second Voyage, p. 507, Iglulik. 
