SPEARS. HARPOONS. 403 



wide above, and with a notch on each side for the thumb 

 and forefinger. With these weapons they attack not only 

 seals and walruses, but even whales. They strike the whale, 

 if possible, at the same time with many harpoons, " to which 

 bladders are hung, made of great seal- skins, several of which 

 so encumber and stop the whale, that it cannot sink deep. 

 When he is tired out, they dispatch him quite with their 

 little lances." Kane gives the figure of a lance, the blade of 

 which closely resembles one of the longer "axes" from the 

 Danish shell-mounds.* 



The Esquimaux have three principal ways of killing 

 seals. The commonest is with the harpoon and bladder. 

 When an Esquimaux in his kayak "spies a seal, he 



FIG. 155. 



Bone Harpoon. 



tries to surprise it unawares with the wind and sun in 

 his back, that he may not be heard or seen by it. He 

 tries to conceal himself behind a wave, and makes hastily 

 but softly up to it till he comes within four, five, or six 

 fathoms of it ; meanwhile he takes the utmost care that 

 the harpoon, line, and bladder lie in proper order."f As 

 soon as the seal is struck the point of the spear detaches 

 itself from the shaft, and at the same moment the Esquimaux 

 throws the large air bladder on to the water. This is often 

 dragged under water a little way, but it is so great an im- 

 pediment, that the seal is soon obliged to come up. " The 

 Greenlander hastens to the spot where he sees the bladder 

 rise up, and smites the seal as soon as it appears" with the 

 great lance or "angovigak." This is not barbed, and does 



* Arctic Explorations, vol. ii., p. 129. f Crantz, p. 154. 



