386 W. Thalbitzer 



stomach. The movement consists in "digging" alternately to each 

 side deep down in the water (more nearly vertical than horizontal) 

 and thus urging the boat forward. 



Fig. 91 shows an old-time kaiak paddle, as carved by David in 

 Sermilik; I obtained a similar description from Nappartuko and 

 Aawtaaserarter. The bone cap of the ends was replaced by the 



Fig. 90. Model of old-fashioned kaiak at Angmagsalik. (Thalbitzer coll 



front teeth of a crested seal. The blade of the paddle was intended, 

 namely, not only for rowing, but also for striking or killing the 

 sea-animal attacked; its ends were thus pointed. The form of the 

 blade was drawn by David on paper with rounded edges (elliptic) 

 instead of straight. This form of blade would agree nearly with the 

 form of the half paddle, which was found far up in the 

 north on the east coast, at Cape Borlase Warren (74° 18' 

 N. lat.) by the 2nd German North Pole Expedition ^). On 

 the latter there was a knob-shaped expansion on the handle 

 part a little in from the blade, a relict of the hand sup- 

 port or rest, found in the Central Eskimo paddle^). Thus 

 the North-east Greenland paddle has had this same feat- 

 ure in common with the paddle of the Smith Sound 

 Eskimo and of the Aivilik and Kinipetu Eskimo, which 

 agree exactly with each other and all of which had the 

 ends of the blade pointed '''). Whether a hand rest on 

 the handle of the paddle has also been used originally 

 at Ammassalik, is not known, but the straight form of 

 the blade (in David's model) agrees with the Smith Sound 

 paddle; the rounded form (in his drawing and in the 

 paddle from C. Borlase Warren) might correspond with 

 the Aivilik lake-paddle and the Point Barrow double 



Fig.91. Model t^ 



of old-fash- kaiak-paddle^). 



ioned kaiak 

 paddle. (Thai- Д HOLDER FOR THE PADDLE 0Г a pincll {nootaakitao) 



1 zerco •)• 'з- i^g^g^fj Qf rj thole is formed by means of an oblong 

 and flat piece of wood, which is held fast to the deck of the kaiak 

 to the left of the man (between the man-hole and the kaiak stand) 



Î) Koldewey (1874) p. 622 and 603, fig. 12. 



-) Hoas (1901) p. 12 states regarding the paddle of the Cumberland Sound Eskimo: 

 "The handle is separated from the blades by a ring with a notch in the middle, 

 around which a narrow strip of fur is fastened". — Kroeber (1899) p. 273, fig. 5. 



•') Figures given by Boas (1901) p. 79, fig. 107; Kroeber (1899) p. 273, fig. 5; Steensby 

 (1910) p, 3.-)8, fig. 37. 



'j Murdoch (1892) p. 330 fig. 340. 



