282 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1884. 



Alaska (Fig. 3). The outline of the implement is quite elaborate and 

 symmetrical, resembling at the hook end a fiddle-head, and widening 

 continuously by lateral and facial curves to the front, where it is thin 

 and flat. A slight rounded notch for the thumb, and a longer chamfer 

 for three fingers, form the handle. Marks 5 and 6 are wanting. The 

 cavity for the index finger extends quite through the implement, as it- 

 does in all cases where it is on the side of the harpoon-shaft groove, 

 and not directly under it. The shaft groove is shallow, and the hook 

 at the lower extremity is formed by a piece of ivory inserted in a par- 

 allel groove in the fiddle-head and fastened with pegs. It is as though 

 a saw-cut one-eighth inch wide had been made longitudinally through 

 the fiddle-head and one-half inch beyond, and the space had been filled 

 with a plate of ivory pared down flush with the wood all round, except- 

 ing at the projection left to form the hook or spur for the harpoon shaft. 

 This peg or spur fits in a small hole in the butt of the harpoon or spear 

 shaft and serves to keep the weapon in its place until it is launched from 

 the hand. The Ungava spear is heavier than that of the western Eskimo, 

 hence the stick and its spur are proportionately larger. It is well to 

 observe carefully the purport of the spur. A javelin, assegai, or other 

 weapon hurled from the hand is seized in the center of gravity. The 

 Greenland spears have the pegs for the throwing-stick sometimes at 

 the center of gravity, sometimes at the butt end. In all other uses of 

 the throwing-stick the point of support is behind the center of gravity, 

 and if the weapon is not fastened in its groove in cannot be hurled. 

 This fastening is accomplished by the backward leaning of the peg in 

 the Greenland example, and by the spur on the distal end of the throw- 

 ing-stick in all other cases. 



CUMBERLAND GULF TYPE. 



The Cumberland Gulf type is the clumsiest throwing stick in the 

 Museum, and Dr. Franz Boas recognizes it as a faithful sample of those 

 in use throughout Baffin Land (Fig. 4). 



In general style it resembles Mr. Turner's specimens from Ungava ; 

 but every part is coarser and heavier. It is made of oak, probably ob- 

 tained from a whaling vessel. Instead of the fiddle-head at the distal 

 end we have a declined and thickened prolongation of the stick with- 

 out ornament. There is no distinct handle, but provision is made for 

 the thumb by a deep, sloping groove ; for the index-finger by a perfo- 

 ration, and for the other three fingers by separate grooves. These give 

 a splendid grip for the hunter, but the extraordinary width of the 

 handle is certainly a disadvantage. There are two longitudinal grooves 

 on the upper face ; the principal one is squared to receive the rectangu- 

 lar shaft of the bird spear ; the other is chipped out for the tips of the 

 fingers, which do not reach across to the harpoon shaft, owing to the 

 clumsy width of the throwing-stick. In this example, the hook for the 



