444 W. Thalbitzer 



The ornamental bone relief, with which the Ammassalikers have 

 decorated the back of their throwing sticks since ancient times, will 

 be discussed later. This feature is also peculiar to them. 



On the whole the types of throwing sticks are common to both 

 East and West Greenland. The small differences in the notches and 

 straps are not of great importance. 



The feather liarpoon and consequently tlie type of throwing stick be- 

 longing to it is limited to Greenland, especially the southern parts of the 

 coasts. Ryder found U\o miniature feathers of a harpoon of this type in 

 Scoresb3' Sound ^). 



R3^der's discovery of a larger (defective) throwing stick in Scoresby 

 Sound is very interesting. Although its form is somewhat divergent from the 

 type hitherto known, in which the edges are almost straight, it is however 

 essentially of the same type as the old-time Greenland throwing sticks (with 

 hole for the forefinger). The difference consists in the stick narrowing rap- 

 idly from the middle backwards; this feature brings it to resemble in 

 striking degree the type of throwing stick illustrated by Boas from the 

 north-west coast of Hudson Bay (Aivilik Eskimo)''). It also agrees in the 

 main with one figured by Ellis from Hudson Strait^). It is interesting to 

 notice that the driving apparatus in this Hudson Bay throwing stick is an 

 upright bone peg in the hind end of the groove, which is in agreement with 

 the fact, that it is stated to be a throwing stick for the bladder dart (the 

 same arrangement we know from the throwing stick for the bird dart). The 

 throwing stick found by Rjder at Scoresby Sound is thus probably not a 

 throwing stick for a harpoon, as indicated by him, but one for a bird dart 

 or bladder dart*). 



It is only Greenlanders who have throwing sticks for the harpoons and 

 lances, thus for the larger kaiak weapons^). Outside Greenland the throw- 

 ing stick is only used for the bird and bladder darts. The tj'pe from Hudson 

 Bay, broad in front, narrow and slender behind, forms a characteristic 

 transition between the Alaska tj'pes, which are slender throughout, and the 

 broad throwing sticks of the Greenlanders. — The more westerlj^ types from 

 Alaska have a common feature, which is not found east of Hudson Bay, 

 perhaps not east of the Mackenzie River, namely, the neck-like narrowing 

 of the front part of the throwing stick. It is round this part of the throw- 

 ing stick that the hand grips and it is especially in regard to this part that 

 we find the numerous variations along the arctic coast from the one district 

 to the other and in specially great number in the Bering Strait. Perhaps 

 F. Krause*^) is right in his suggestion, that the reason for these frequent, 

 small changes in the arrangement is to be found in the arctic cold, which 

 makes the fingers numb — in using the throwing stick the mitten must be 

 taken off, as the forefinger otherwise could not be inserted in the hole and 

 the throwing stick could not be held with a firm grip — consequently, the 



') Ryder (1895) p. 314. 



-) lioas (1901J p. 80, fig. 110, and (1907) p. 39(j, fig. 191. 



3) Ellis (1750) PI. VI. 



*) The dotted lines marked by Ryder are consequently wrong. Tliey should show 



a bone peg and not a hole in the median groove. Ryder (1895) fig. 17 a. 

 ■■) Murdoch (1892) p. 217. 

 '■) Krause (1904) p. 028. 



