. Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution; Smithsonian Institution. Archives; Discoveries in science. 238 REPORT OF NATIONAL MTTSEUM, 1900. A harpoon (Cat. No. 108960, ) from east Greenland, pre- sented by the Copenhagen Museum, is shown in Plate 4. While in f^eneral appearance the weapon is similar to those of the same char- acter in southwest Greenland, the head is a type peculiar to the eastern part of the peninsula. The body is of narwhal ivory, conical in out- line, a long, lanceolate blade fastened in by means of a rivet. The
. Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution; Smithsonian Institution. Archives; Discoveries in science. 238 REPORT OF NATIONAL MTTSEUM, 1900. A harpoon (Cat. No. 108960, ) from east Greenland, pre- sented by the Copenhagen Museum, is shown in Plate 4. While in f^eneral appearance the weapon is similar to those of the same char- acter in southwest Greenland, the head is a type peculiar to the eastern part of the peninsula. The body is of narwhal ivory, conical in out- line, a long, lanceolate blade fastened in by means of a rivet. The point of the loose shaft enters directly into the base, which is flanked by two conspicuous barbs or spurs. A strip of iron is riveted across the lower portion on either side to strengthen it. An interest- ing feature in this specimen is the line hole, which consists of two sep- arate perforations, united on the back with a groove or countersunk cavit}^ to prevent the line from chaling. The loose shaft, which has been neatl}" spliced at the upper end, has a flat surface at the base, with a projection in the middle, fitting into a cavity on the front of the foreshaft, and the two are tightly hinged together by means of a lashing of elastic raw- hide. The use of this joint has been elsewhere explained. The foreshaft is in this specimen a cap of ivory, squared ofl' on top, and the middle left projecting for the socket on the base of the loose shaft. The shaft is of wood, and has on its surface the following attachments: A knob of ivory at the lower end, three hooks or pegs for the throwing stick, one to catch into its base or working end, and two near each other fitting into holes in the manual end of the throwing stick, as seen in the figure. Near these pegs is a hook of ivory, over which fits a catch of the same material on the line, serv- ing to hold the toggle head firmly upon the top of the loose shaft when the weapon is set ready to be plunged into the body of the anima
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Keywords: ., bookauthorsmithsonianinstitutio, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840
