Harpoon With Lanyard Attached But No Point, With Sheath

Item number E72634-0 from the National Museum of Natural History.

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Notes

Described p. 101 in Brown, James Temple. 1883. The whale fishery and its appliances. Washington: Govt. print. off.: "Harpoon Head And Laniard. Head made of piece of sheet-brass; barbs, elk-bone, ornamented, covered with a coating of spruce gum. Laniard, sinews of the whale neatly laid up, and served with twine to keep out water, which is injurious to the fibers. Sheath, bark. Makah Indians, Cape Flattery, 1883. James G. Swan. The harpoons formerly used by these Indians were made of mussel shells; at present of copper sheathing, brass, or old saw-blades. The serving for the laniards was formerly made exclusively from the fibers of the nettle, which are also used now by the old men; and though the young men, in some instances, use cotton twine, yet they prefer the nettle. A harpoon that has been successfully used acquires additional value."