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1884. ] The Northernmost Inhabitants of the Earth. 869 
The Itanese have neither boats nor bows and arrows, although 
the words denoting these objects still exist in their language. 
This is an important circumstance, considering that they are a 
tribe of hunters, a circumstance indicating decided retrogression. 
At all other localities we find the Inuit to be brave seamen, devel- 
oping great dexterity in the management of their frail skin-boats ; 
everywhere else they are excellent archers, and handle the rifle 
with considerable accuracy in case the latter has replaced the 
more primitive weapon. 
Jimmy, a southern Eskimo whom we found living with the 
Itanese, was the only one who possessed a bow and arrows, which 
he had brought from his home. They had frequently been 
mended, and were in a rather dilapidated condition. The bow 
was made of four pieces of reindeer horn lashed together with 
sinew, and was but slightly curved. -Its length was thirty-three 
inches, The bow-string was four ply and made of the cervical 
ligament of the reindeer. It was fastened around two neatly 
Carved bear-heads at either end of the bow. The arrows, of 
which he only had three, were provided with iron points. Their 
shafts were made of splinters of wood lashed together and feath- 
ered with raven quills. Including the point their length was from 
eighten to twenty inches, 
The weapons used by them are the lance and the throwing- 
Spear, which is provided with an air bladder, but is used without 
the throwing-board common to the other Inuit. In addition to 
these they have a bird-spear. r 
Together with the figure of a lance (Fig. 6), copied from Ross, 
I have illustrated another one (Fig. 7), about one-tenth natural 
size. The shaft of this one is composed of wood. Fig. 8 shows 
the upper part of the same weapon somewhat larger. 
- AS soon as the lance has reached its aim, the shaft turns over 
to one side, sliding into its socket from the round base of the 
€-head. This ingenious mechanism, illustrating the principle 
of the ball and socket joint, which could not long remain a seeret 
to hunters, together with the fastening of the shaft-rest, is illus- 
trated by Fig.9. F ig. 10 represents a shaft-rest more completely 
finished, 
Two detached spear-heads are shown by Figs. 11 and I ie The 
Opening of the latter is broken and has been mend ha p 
thongs in order to prevent an accidental separation of the hea 
