﻿34 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Seneca 
  river. 
  The 
  base 
  has 
  a 
  double 
  curve. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  fine 
  example 
  of 
  

   a 
  rare 
  form. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  78 
  shows 
  a 
  frequent 
  form 
  which 
  is 
  often 
  rude. 
  This, 
  however, 
  

   is 
  neatly 
  made, 
  and 
  is 
  ridged 
  on 
  both 
  sides. 
  It 
  is 
  of 
  brown 
  flint, 
  two 
  

   and 
  one 
  quarter 
  inches 
  long, 
  has 
  a 
  long 
  stem, 
  and 
  is 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  

   place. 
  Such 
  forms 
  are 
  often 
  flattened 
  on 
  one 
  side, 
  and 
  ridged 
  on 
  

   the 
  other. 
  Fig. 
  79 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  arrow 
  of 
  drab 
  flint, 
  rather 
  flat 
  and 
  a 
  

   little 
  curved. 
  It 
  is 
  but 
  seven 
  eighths 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  long, 
  stemmed 
  and 
  

   broad. 
  This 
  is 
  also 
  from 
  the 
  Seneca 
  river. 
  Triangular 
  arrows 
  are 
  

   found 
  there 
  even 
  shorter 
  than 
  this. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  80 
  represents 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  commonest 
  forms, 
  and 
  one 
  very 
  vari- 
  

   able 
  in 
  size, 
  material 
  and 
  finish. 
  They 
  are 
  usually 
  coarsely 
  made, 
  

   and 
  probably 
  were 
  rapidly 
  finished 
  and 
  little 
  valued. 
  This 
  one 
  is 
  of 
  

   black 
  flint, 
  and 
  is 
  one 
  and 
  one 
  half 
  inches 
  long. 
  They 
  are 
  often 
  much 
  

   smaller, 
  and 
  on 
  many 
  sites 
  scarcely 
  any 
  thing 
  else 
  occurs. 
  In 
  assign- 
  

   ing 
  these 
  small 
  points 
  to 
  boys, 
  the 
  fact 
  has 
  been 
  overlooked 
  that 
  the 
  

   efficiency 
  of 
  an 
  arrow-head 
  was 
  not 
  in 
  proportion 
  to 
  its 
  size. 
  Its 
  

   office 
  was 
  simply 
  to 
  open 
  the 
  way 
  for 
  the 
  shaft 
  which 
  propelled 
  it, 
  

   and 
  for 
  this 
  purpose 
  it 
  needed 
  only 
  to 
  be 
  sharp 
  and 
  slightly 
  larger 
  

   than 
  the 
  shaft 
  itself. 
  Thus 
  Verrazano, 
  in 
  1524, 
  found 
  the 
  Long 
  

   Island 
  Indians 
  using 
  arrows 
  tipped 
  with 
  fish 
  bones, 
  while 
  farther 
  east 
  

   many 
  had 
  them 
  tipped 
  with 
  stones. 
  In 
  an 
  account 
  of 
  New 
  England 
  

   Indians, 
  written 
  in 
  1620, 
  it 
  is 
  said, 
  ' 
  For 
  their 
  weapons 
  they 
  have 
  

   bowes 
  and 
  arrowes, 
  some 
  of 
  them 
  headed 
  with 
  bone, 
  and 
  some 
  with 
  

   brasse.' 
  Capt. 
  John 
  Smith 
  said 
  that 
  the 
  indians 
  of 
  Virginia 
  had 
  

   many 
  arrows 
  headed 
  with 
  bone. 
  Others 
  used 
  sharp 
  stones, 
  turkey 
  

   spurs, 
  or 
  birds' 
  bills. 
  The 
  Sasquehanocks 
  whom 
  he 
  met 
  in 
  1608, 
  

   had 
  arrows 
  a 
  yard 
  and 
  a 
  quarter 
  long, 
  ' 
  headed 
  with 
  flints 
  or 
  splinters 
  

   of 
  stones, 
  in 
  forme 
  like 
  a 
  heart, 
  an 
  inch 
  broade, 
  and 
  an 
  inch 
  and 
  a 
  

   halfe 
  or 
  more 
  long.' 
  

  

  It 
  will 
  be 
  observed 
  that 
  the 
  writer 
  differs 
  from 
  some 
  on 
  the 
  true 
  

   distinctions 
  of 
  arrow-heads, 
  while 
  follov/ing 
  the 
  usual 
  classification 
  

   as 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  convenience. 
  The 
  small 
  points 
  were 
  not 
  made 
  merely 
  

   for 
  children, 
  but 
  were 
  useful 
  to 
  men. 
  Length 
  is 
  a 
  less 
  essential 
  

   feature 
  than 
  breadth, 
  and 
  some 
  long 
  and 
  slender 
  forms 
  may 
  have 
  

   been 
  used 
  as 
  arrows, 
  where 
  shorter 
  and 
  broader 
  forms 
  were 
  not. 
  

  

  