THE INDIANS OF THE NORTHWEST COAST. 



285 



back into the interior. Fig. 116 is a slight modification in the type of 

 117, in the direction of 118. The first daggers that were made of steel, 

 after the advent of the whites, were converted by the natives from 

 large flat files, which they also 

 made into adze blades. The skill- 

 ful manner in which the Indians 

 ground down the files into beauti- 

 fully fluted daggers challenged 

 the admiration of the traders, 

 who found the work as skillfully 

 done as that by European metal- 

 workers. The primitive dagger 

 was of stone or bone. Those of 

 bone were of the shape shown in 

 Fig. 107, Plate xxv, with a sharp 

 ridge running down the middle. 

 Fig. 108& represents a Tlingit 

 stone dagger from the Emmons 

 Collection Fig. 108c from the 

 same source, has a blade of stone 

 and handle of wood covered in 

 totemic design. Another dagger 

 of jadeite or nephrite, not here 

 represented, is a long prism of 

 square cross-section pointed at 

 each end, about three-fourths 

 inch on a side, with the handle 

 about one-third of the distance 

 from one end. Fig. 1 08d is a steel 

 dagger, also from this collection, 

 of native workmanship. The 

 edges are very sharp, and it is 

 an exceedingly dangerous weap- 

 on. The handle is covered with 

 plate copper, as shown. Fig. 

 lOSe is a Tlingit steel dagger also 

 from the Emmons Collection. 

 The handle is wrapped with buck- 

 skin strips, and outside of all is 

 wound a cord of plaited human 

 hair. Fig. 108/ is a Tlingit ivory 

 guard for the point of a dag- 

 ger to protect the wearer from 



danger of accidental stabbing. Fig. 180g is an ivory dagger edge 

 guard for fastening over the sharp edged point of a dagger. Both of 



Fig. 108d. 

 Steel Dagger. 



(Tlingit. Emmons Collec- 

 tion. ) 



Fig. 108e. 

 Steel Dagger. 



(Tlingit. Emmons Collec- 

 tion.) 



