Harpoon Pole

Item number E26825-0 from the National Museum of Natural History.

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Notes

FROM CARD: "HARPOON-POLE. A HEAVY, UNWIELDY POLE MADE OF YEW (TAXUS BREVIFOLIA), SCARFED IN THREE PLACES, AND SERVED WITH STRIPS OF WILD-CHERRY BARK. ONE END TAPERS TO A POINT FOR THE RECEPTION OF HARPOON-SOCKET. USED BY NATIVES IN THRUSTING THE HARPOON INTO THE WHALE TO MAKE FAST THE SEAL-SKIN BUOYS. LENGTH, 15 FEET. MAKAH INDIANS, CAPE FLATTERY, 1883. 26825 JAMES G. SWAN. AN IMPLEMENT FOR WHICH THE MAKAH WHALER HAS A SPECIAL REGARD. IT IS SELDOM USED WITHOUT BEING BROKEN; IT IS THEN REPAIRED, AND ACQUIRES ADDITIONAL VALUE. I SAW ONE WITH SIX PLACES WHERE IT HAD BEEN REPAIRED, AND THE OWNER WOULD NOT PART WITH IT FOR ANY PRICE. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO GET THE ONE NOW SENT, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE PERFECTLY WILLING TO MAKE ME NEW ONES, BUT HAD NO YEW. SOME OF THESE HARPOON STAFFS WHICH HAVE BEEN IN THE SAME FAMILY FOR MANY GENERATIONS COULD NOT BE PURCHASED, FROM A SUPERSTITION THAT IT WOULD BE UNLUCKY."Described p. 102 in Brown, James Temple. 1883. The whale fishery and its appliances. Washington: Govt. print. off.. This description was added to the card (see text above.)