These people are now provided with firearms, which have entirely
superseded the bow and arrow.
The bow formerly used in this region appears to have been similar to the
one obtained from a party of East Main Innuit, who made their way to
Fort Chimo. This bow has accordingly been figured and described (Figs.
61 and 62--90137).
[Illustration: FIG. 61.--Bow. East Main Eskimo (back).]
[Illustration: FIG. 62.--Bow. East Main Eskimo (side).]
It is made of larch wood and has a backing of eight double strands of
twisted sinew. This sinew is in one piece sixteen times the length of
the bow. One end is looped and passed over one "nock" of the bow and
carried back and forth from nock to nock eight times. This backing has
two turns of twist put in from the middle to increase its elasticity,
and is lashed to the middle of the bow with a stout thong of reindeer
skin. The bowstring is of twisted sinew with a loop at each end.
With this bow were seven arrows. Three of these are for shooting
reindeer and wolves. They have an iron point set in a short foreshaft of
reindeer antler, and a wooden shaft about 16 inches long (Fig. 63).
Three more are pointed with large nails, one of which has been beaten to
a chisel-shaped point (Figs. 64 and 65). They are intended for large
game at short range, or for small game, such as hares and ptarmigan.
These six arrows are feathered with the tail feathers of the raven.
The last arrow is a simple shaft, without feathering or head, and is
intended for small game, such as a wood hare crouching under a spruce
tree, or the little red squirrel on the top of a low tree.
In drawing the bow, the Innuit invariably hold the arrow between the
middle two fingers of the right hand, and the string is drawn with all
four fingers, and released by straightening them.
The bow and arrows are carried in bow case and quiver fastened together
and slung on the back. Fig. 66 represents a model (No. 3257) of such a
bow case. The bow case is made of buckskin and is of sufficient length
to contain the bow, excepting the extreme end, which is left projecting
for convenience in handling. The case is tied around the bow at the
projecting end. The quiver is attached to the bow case and contains two
models of arrows for shooting large game. The arrows are tipped with
leaf-shaped pieces of tin. They are feathered with portions of feathers
apparently taken from the tail of a raven. The mouth of the quiver is
also drawn up with a string to prevent the loss of arrows. I have not
seen the Eskimo of Hudson strait use such a cover for their bows and
arrows, but the opportunities to observe them are very limited, as few
are used. I am led to conclude that only the poorer individuals of
either locality have the bow and arrow at the present day.
[Illustration: FIGS. 63, 64, and 65.--Arrows. East Main Eskimo.]
I have already described the large harpoon used for striking white
whales and large seals from the kaiak. A short-head spear (Fig 67, No.
90164) is used for dispatching wounded seals or white whales, or for
killing white whales when they have been driven into a shallow arm of
the sea when the tide ebbs and leaves them partly uncovered. It has a
short wooden shaft with a ferrule of ivory, holding a short ivory loose
shaft, kept in place by thongs, on which is mounted a toggle head like
that used on the big harpoon. The line is either attached to the kaiak
or to a small float made of the inflated intestine or skin of a seal.
The toggle heads for these spears are made of ivory, and fitted with
iron blades (Fig. 68). I have already referred to the large sealskin
float in describing the kaiak.
Fig. 69 (No. 3531) is such a large sealskin float or á va tuk. The skin
is removed from the body by skinning around the gums and carefully
taking out all the flesh and bones through this orifice. As the
operation proceeds the skin is turned back and at the completion of the
work is inside out. The flesh side, now the exterior, is carefully
scraped to free it from all fleshy matter. The hind flippers are cut off
at the ankle and the skin either sewed or stoutly wrapped with thong.
The fore flippers are usually left attached to the skin after the flesh
has been scraped from them. The skin is now inflated with air and hung
up to dry. In a few hours it is turned with the hairy side out and again
inflated for awhile. The mouth and all other openings in the skin are
carefully sewed up. A large button of ivory, shaped much like a pulley,
nearly 2 inches in diameter, is put where the mouth of the skin is and a
portion of the skin carefully wrapped around it, thongs of sealskin
tightening the moist skin in the groove of the mouthpiece. This piece
has a hole about one-third of an inch in diameter bored through it. The
hind flippers and tail have a stick of 2 or 3 inches in length placed
within the skin and are then firmly bound around the stick, which serves
to stop up any hole and also to furnish a handle by which to drag or
hold the float. The hole in the mouth-piece is plugged with a stopper of
wood. When the float is wanted for use the skin is inflated. When
inflated the float has a diameter about two-thirds the length. If it is
to be attached to a tracking line the float is fastened by the stick,
which is secured within the skin of the hind flippers and dragged
backwards. The function of the float in this instance is to prevent the
tracking line from becoming "fouled" among the rocks and stones of the
beach along which the line runs in towing a boat (or umiak). In a
similar manner it is affixed to the harpoon line used for large marine
mammals, such as the white whale and the larger species of seals. This
float not only retards the flight of the speared animal, but it serves
to mark the spot where it sinks, for at certain seasons the seals sink
as soon as they die. A speared animal always sinks more quickly than one
shot dead with a ball, probably because its struggles are more prolonged
in the first instance and exhaustion of breath is more complete.
[Illustration: FIG. 66. Bow case. East Main Eskimo.]
The hair of the animal whose skin is intended for a float is sometimes
scraped off before the skin is removed from the body, otherwise it may
be left until the skin is partly dry and then be shaved off. The manner
of loosening the hair is similar to that used by butchers of hogs, only
that the boiling water is poured on and a small patch of hair pulled off
at a time, instead of submerging the entire animal. The hair from the
green skin must be carefully pulled out or else the black scurf adhering
will be detached and thus render the skin less nearly waterproof.
The skins or bags used for holding oil and fat are prepared in a similar
manner, excepting that the hair is left on the skin and the hairy side
left within. The oil and fat are put in the skin at the posterior end
and it is then tied up like a float. The largest sealskins are used for
oilbags, and may contain as much as 300 pounds of fat or oil.
When a sack of oil is sold the bag is usually returned to the seller,
who again fills it with oil or converts the skin into bootlegs or soles.
The leather having become thoroughly impregnated with the oil makes the
best for wear, often resisting moisture for three or four days of
continuous wet.
Before leaving the subject of weapons and their accessories, I may
mention No. 3069, a small pouch made of thick sealskin. The shape is
somewhat like that of a leg of mutton. This is used for carrying gun
caps. The neck is only large enough to permit one cap to fall out at a
time.
[Illustration: FIG. 67.--Hand spear for killing seals from kaiak;
Koksoak.]