HOLMES ANNIVERSARY VOLUME 



guided by placing the index finger of the tool hand against the edge 

 of the palm on which the flake lies. The pressure is down, of course, 

 rather than up, mainly in order to avoid the flying chips, and the 

 chips being left in the palm of the hand absolutely necessitates the 

 leather pad. Ishi works rapidly, reversing the flake often or not as 

 conditions require. He begins chipping at the point on the flake 

 nearest the tool and gradually works toward the farther end, and his 

 best work appears to be done when he is chipping in a direction from 

 the point end of the arrowpoint toward the base rather than when, 

 on reversal, he must work in the opposite direction, i.e., from the base 

 of the arrowpoint toward the point. Working in this manner Ishi 

 can finish an arrowpoint of average size in half an hour, more or less, 

 according to the nature of the substance he is working and also 

 according to the adaptability of the flake originally selected. Having 

 finished, he proceeds to the final step. 



Notching and Serrating. — First of all, Ishi takes his leather pad, 

 doubles it over the end of his left thumb, and ties it in place with a 

 string. Then he grips the arrowpoint near the base, holding it firmly 

 between the end of the protected thumb and adjoining index finger. 

 With the right hand he directs the point of the notching tool against 

 the edge of the arrowpoint at the place where the notch is to be, and 

 by a slight pressure removes a small chip. The tool, as shown in 

 plate in, is held perpendicular to the plane of the arrowpoint and is 

 pushed forward as if to be driven into the end of the thumb. For 

 each minute chip thus removed the arrowpoint is reversed until the 

 notch is of the depth desired. The successful act requires some 

 deftness, or the stem is sure to be severed from the blade of the 

 arrowpoint. Ishi seldom fails, however, especially when working 

 with glass, and he completes the two notches often in about half a 

 minute's time. If the edge of the arrowpoint was to be serrated, 

 Ishi would doubtless proceed in the same way, although I never 

 asked him to try. 



American Museum of Natural History 

 New York City 



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