The Greenland spears have the pegs for the throwing-stick sometimes at
the center of gravity, sometimes at the butt end. In all other uses of
the throwing-stick the point of support is behind the center of gravity,
and if the weapon is not fastened in its groove it cannot be hurled.
This fastening is accomplished by the backward leaning of the peg in the
Greenland example, and by the spur on the distal end of the
throwing-stick in all other cases.


CUMBERLAND GULF TYPE.

The Cumberland Gulf type is the clumsiest throwing-stick in the Museum,
and Dr. Franz Boas recognizes it as a faithful sample of those in use
throughout Baffin Land (Fig. 4).

In general style it resembles Mr. Turner's specimens from Ungava; but
every part is coarser and heavier. It is made of oak, probably obtained
from a whaling vessel. Instead of the fiddle-head at the distal end we
have a declined and thickened prolongation of the stick without
ornament. There is no distinct handle, but provision is made for the
thumb by a deep, sloping groove; for the index-finger by a perforation,
and for the other three fingers by separate grooves. These give a
splendid grip for the hunter, but the extraordinary width of the handle
is certainly a disadvantage. There are two longitudinal grooves on the
upper face; the principal one is squared to receive the rectangular
shaft of the bird spear; the other is chipped out for the tips of the
fingers, which do not reach across to the harpoon shaft, owing to the
clumsy width of the throwing-stick. In this example, the hook for the
end of the bird-spear shaft is the canine tooth of some animal driven
into the wood at the distal end of the long-shaft groove.