IXDLWS OF MAM/AT'/.W ISLAM) L>!) 



axo h;i\(' Ixh'Ii jjcckcd into shiipc, a lew liaN'c Ix'cn fashioned hy chipping, 

 l)Ul tlu'sc M'ciii lo lu' raic. 



( I|()()\im1 axes \v(M(' hatted in vaiious ways. During the suimncr of 

 \\)()S. \\\v l']ast(M-n i\vv liviii«2; in ihe vicinity of the southciii end of 

 Hudson l^a>' told tlic wiiler that tlicii- anccstois, who made an<l used 

 such axes, haftcd thcni 1)>- sj)Httinj!; a stick and scttin*!; the hladc in it, 

 then hindinii' tlu> liandle toiietlier witli deerskin (pr()l)al)ly lawhide) 

 above and l)elow tlie spHt. No sju'ciniens of tlie «ii()oved axe in the 

 oii«>;inal haft seem now to \)v extant fioni any locahty in the JOast. From 

 tlie battered api)eai-ance of tlu^ butts of thes(> axes, it may have be(Mi that 

 tlu\\' wer(^ sonu^times uscmI in Vwu of mauls or hammers. It is possible 

 that they may have l)een used in wai". It is jj;(Mierally siipjiosed that in 

 cuttint>- down trees, making; dug-out canoes, and other kin('s of wood- 

 working-, fire was used as an adjunct to the stone axe, the former being 

 the active agent. The process of biu'ning and charring having gone on 

 sufficiently, the stone axe was used to remove the Ijurned portion. How- 

 ever, some stone axes seem sharp enough to cut cjuite well without the 

 aid of fire. 



Celts. Ungrooved axes or hatchets, usually' called celts, are fre- 

 quent throughout this area; but are now^here as abundant as the grooved 

 axe, especially near the southern border of the region. The grooved axe 

 seems to have been the typical cutting and chopping tool of the local 

 Algonkin. The widespread idea that the celt was sometimes used un- 

 hafted as a skinning tool, has no historic proof, but may possibly have 

 some foundation. The Cree of the southern Hudson Bay region use an 

 edged tool of bone for this purpose, a fact which is somewhat suggestive, 

 although the implement differs in shape from the celt. Celts with one 

 side flat and the other beveled to an edge may^ have been used as adzes. 

 From the worn and hammered appearance of the polls of some celts, it is 

 possible that man}- of these implements w^ere used as wedges in sphtting 

 wood, after constant manipulation in their chopping capacity had per- 

 manenth' dulled their edges. 



The celts of this region are, as a general thing, poorly made, a pebble 

 of suitable shape having an edge ground on it with little or no preliminary 

 shaping. ^lore rarely, however, they were carefully worked all over by 

 pecking and poUshing, as in the case of the grooved axe. 



In type, aside from the general division of rough and worked celts, 

 we may add that most celts in this region have sUghtly rounded polls, the 

 bit broader than the butt, although some exceptions have been found. 

 The forms are as follows: a, rough stone celts, pebbles with one end 



