In former times these Indians used the bow and arrow exclusively, but
they have now nearly discarded these weapons for the guns which they
procure from the traders.
The bow and arrow is, however, still used to kill ptarmigan, hares, and
rabbits. The bow (Fig. 132) consists of a piece of larch or spruce wood
of 4 to 6 feet in length. It is only slightly narrower and thinner at
the ends, and nearly an inch thick and an inch and a half wide at the
central portions. But little ingenuity is displayed in the construction
of these weapons. They have considerable elasticity, and if broken it is
easy to obtain a piece of wood from the forest and fashion another. The
string is a strand of deerskin, twisted or rolled. It is rare to find a
bow that has a single string.
[Illustration: FIG. 132.--Bow, Nenenot.]
The arrows are usually 2 feet or 30 inches long, and feathered with
three ptarmigan feathers. (Figs. 133-136.) The head is usually an
egg-shaped knob, terminating in a slender point which soon breaks off.
[Illustration: BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT PL. XLII