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Description

A) Medium sized hook made from bent wood, possibly hemlock with a bone barb lashed to the upper arm with root. The tip of the lower arm is also lashed with root. A length of nettle fibre cord is wrapped between the two arms, possibly for securing the bait on the hook. B) A slightly larger hook made from bent wood, possibly hemlock with a bone barb lashed to the upper arm with root. The part of the lower arm is also lashed with root but the tip has a portion of much finer material which could possibly be a regional style (other hooks with this are Z 34969 and Z 34973). A length of nettle fibre cord is wrapped around the barb lashing. C) Missing 1993, but described as Bone fish hook made in two pieces, the barb being lashed to the shank with sinew. Sinew line attached. D) Large wooden halibut hook made from hemlock with a bone barb lashed to the upper with root. Near to the barb a length of sinew has been roughly tied. Attached to the lower arm is the twisted nettle fibre leader which would have anchored the hook to the line and a weight. The leader is secured to the lower arm with an extra binding of root and possibly cherry bark. E) Missing 1993, has the following description on the catalogue card, large wooden halibut hook with straight bone barbs and line attached . F) Whaling harpoon head made from two prongs of elk antler hold a mussel shell Mytilus californianus. The shell is bound in position with bark and spruce gum. Attached to the harpoon head is a length of line made from whale sinew or some such material, the end of which is looped and bound with cherry bark. G) Missing 1993, catalogue card description states, shell and bone harpoon head. Good

Context

A-D, F) Nuu-Chah-Nulth, Vancouver Island (J.C.H.King, Museum of Mankind 121992). The original European tribal names and, where possible, current tribal names have both been given in separate GLT fields.; A),B) D) Bent hooks were shaped by steaming, and amongst the Kwakiutl a mould was used to wrap the steamed wood around. The hook would be set with a piece of bait, possibly some octopus. The hook was then attached to a weighted line by a leader, often made from nettle fibre, the upper arm of the hook was that with the barb. The larger hooks were used for halibut fishing, and the smaller ones were secured in a series to a line for catching ling-cod, and sculpin. C) The harpoon head and line would have had a float, made of seal skin to slow the whale down, and was thrust into the whale using a stout yew lance. The whales were hunted in March through the summer months, the species being the Californian gray whale and the humpback. Whaling was carried out by chiefs and entailed a considerable amount of ritual purification to ensure success, such as bathing, praying and avoiding pollution. The hunting trips were undertaken with canoes and ritually purified crews. Once the whale was speared other canoes would also attach lines until the whale finally weakened and was killed. The whale was towed back to the village, with its mouth tied closed to ensure buoyancy, where it was cut up and distributed throughout the population.; Exhibited: D) CUMAA old Anthropological displays, case 34/35, dismantled 081986. F) Loaned by CUMAA to the Vancouver Centennial Museum May 1986, returned January 1987.; Collected by: Swaine.Admiral.Spelman in ?1794.
Literature: Also see the 'Catalogue of the Northwest Coast Collection: Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology' (1996), Dr Gillian Crowther. (J.Tanner, May 1998). See 'From Pacific Shores: Eighteenth-century Ethnographic Collections at Cambridge - The Voyages of Cook, Vancouver and the First Fleet' (J. Tanner, 1999:73). See 'Artificial Curiosities from the Northwest Coast of America (J.C.H. King, 1981: cf. Monochrome Plate 83; 117).
Vancouver Collection: George Vancouver (1758-1798) was born in King' s Lynn, Norfolk. His father, John Jasper Vancouver was assistant collector of customs at King's Lynn, which was at that time a busy seaport. It is believed that through his connections he was able to bring George to the attention of Captain James Cook, who was then preparing to sail on the second of his world voyages. Thus George entered the Royal Navy in 1771 upon receiving an appointment from Cook and thereby gained a rigorous training in seamanship. In 1791 Vancouver was sent on a mission to receive the surrender of the Spanish post at Nootka Sound in present day British Columbia, to survey the coast of the American Northwest, and to search for a water connection to the eastern part of the continent. He wrote a lengthy account of his voyage entitled, ' A Voyage of discovery to the North Pacific ocean, and Round the World' (1798). It was on this latter voyage that Spelman Swaine accompanied Vancouver and acquired the objects held at UCMAA. Spelman Swaine was born on 1st January 1769 at Lynn Regis in Norfolk and died on 13th January 1848 at Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. His forebears had risen from the ranks of yeoman farmers to gain land in the village of Leverington and build Leverington Hall about 1640, which was held by the family until the end of the 18th century. Swaine himself was brought up at Swanns, another mansion in Leverington, but later moved to Wisbech. He began his naval career in April 1782 and by the October he saw action as midshipman on the ' Recovery' in Lord Howe' s relief of Gibraltar. Thereafter, he lead an eventful and distinguished naval career, finally gaining the rank of Rear Admiral in 1846. In particular, the Swaine collection at UCMAA originates from his period with Captain George Vancouver' s expedition round the world between 1791 and 1795 on the HMS Discovery, as midshipman and later lieutenant. Swaine and his family gave a small but important collection from this voyage to Wisbech Museum, which were later acquired by UCMAA. (J. Tanner, 1999).

Item History

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