442 



W. Thalbitzer 



wards) sloping plane of which forms a acute angle with the upper 

 side of the main piece. By means of this contrivance the long har- 

 poon shaft does not overbalance and drop off when the hunter has 

 placed it in position, that is, resting only with the butt end on the 

 throwing stick; the hook holds the end of the shaft- down against the 

 latter and it is only when the weapon is lifted in throwing and 

 pushed forward, that it is let free. 



Fig. 146 shows two throwing sticks for the knob harpoon, like- 

 wise found by Amdrup at Nualik. The upper, which has perhaps 



belonged to a smaller harpoon, is defective. It 

 has had a triangular bone end, similar to the 

 other, wedged into a broad cut in the back end 

 of the stick. This kind of throwing stick is 

 attached close behind the middle of the wooden 

 shaft of the knob harpoon — as shown in 

 figs. 103 a, b, с — and has two holes, one in 

 front and the other behind (in the bone tri- 

 angle), fitting to the bone pegs on the under 

 side of the shaft. The first is small and cir- 

 cular, the other larger and oval (cf. flg. 149). 

 — The throwing stick of the lance is made 

 on the same principle. 



The throwing sticks of the bladder dart 

 and bird dart, like those of the feather har- 

 poon, are attached on the butt end of the 

 wooden shaft (figs. 105 and 137), but there is 

 no hole in the throwing stick and no peg 

 on the shaft which rests loosely in the groove; 

 and in contradistinction to the feather har- 

 poon the Ammassalik throwing sticks for blad- 

 der and bird darts, like those of West Green- 

 land, have a globular bone peg (qilia) meeting another (qaqiwisaa) 

 of the same form on the shaft end, the one on the throwing stick 

 being to push forward the other on the butt of the shaft (the ar- 

 rangement is seen distinctly in fig. 105). — It is clear, on the whole, 

 that the driving power in throwing the shaft is concentrated in the 

 back end of the throwing stick, i. e. in the bone peg (bird dart and 

 bladder dart) or the hook (feather harpoon), or the edge of the hind- 

 most hole (knob harpoon and lance). The front hole, into which 

 the peg fits, is only to give a belter direction or sight with the 

 weapon. 



Along the edges of the throwing sticks or a part of the edges 



Fig. 149. Throwing stick 



(fragment) witli relief 



ornaments of seals. Nualik. 



(Amdrup coll.). 



