292 THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 
inches long, tapering to a sharp rounded point at one end, and tapered 
slightly to the other, which terminates in a small rounded knob. It is 
very neatly made from, rather old yellow ivory, and ornamented on all 
four faces with conventional incised patterns colored with red ochre. 
This implement is used in putting on the backing of a bow to raise 
parts of the cord when an end isto be passed under and in tucking in the 
ends in finishing off a whipping. It was probably also used in putting 
whippings or seizings onany otherimplements. We collected 10 of these 
tools, all quite similar, and made of walrus ivory, yellow from age and 
handling. They vary in length from 4$ to 6 inches, and are always 
contracted at the upper end into a sort of neck or handle, surmounted 
by a knob or crossbar. No. 89463 [836] Fig. 284, from Utkiavwit has 
Fic. 284.—Marhne spike. 
the crossbar carved very neatly into the figure of an Amphipod crus- 
tacean without the legs. The eyes, mouth, and vent are indicated 
by small round holes filled with some black substance, and there is a 
row of eight similar holes down the middle of the back. The tip of this 
tool, which is 5-9 inches long, has been concaved to an edge so as to 
make a feather-setter of it. Through the knob at the butt there is some- 
Fig, 285.—Marline spike. 
times a large round eye, as in Fig. 285 (No. 89464 [S42] from Utkiavwin, 
4-7 inches long). These tools are sometimes plain, like the specimens 
last figured, and sometimes ornamented with conventional patterns of 
incised lines, colored with red ocher, like the others. 
The twisters (No. 89465 [962]) are flat four-sided rods of walrus ivory, 
respectively 44 and 4:7 inches long. At each end one broad face is 
raised into a low transverse ridge about 0-1 inch high and the other 
rounded off; with the ridge on opposite faces at the two ends. They 
are ornamented on all four faces with longitudinal incised lines, colored 
with red ocher. 
The use of these tools, which was discovered by actual experiment 
after our return to this country' is for twisting the strands of the sinew 
backing after it has been put on the bow into the cables already de- 
1 See the writer's paper on Eskimo bows, Smithsonian Report for 1884, pt. 2, p. 315. 
