The walrus is, in fact, the only animal with which they
use any caution of this kind. They like the flesh better than that of
the seal; but venison is preferred by them to either of these, and,
indeed, to any other kind of meat.
At Winter Island they carefully preserved the heads of all the animals
killed during the winter, except two or three of the walrus, which we
obtained with great difficulty. As the blood of the animals which they
kill is all used as food of the most luxurious kind, they are careful to
avoid losing any portion of it; for this purpose they carry with
them on their excursions a little instrument of ivory called
_t~oop=o=ot~a_, in form and size exactly resembling a "twenty-penny"
nail, with which they stop up the orifice made by the spear, by
thrusting it through the skin by the sides of the wound, and securing
it with a twist.
One of the best of their bows was made of a single piece of fir, four
feet eight inches in length, flat on the inner side and rounded on the
outer, being five inches in girth about the middle, where, however, it
is strengthened on the concave side, when strung, by a piece of bone ten
inches long, firmly secured by treenails of the same material. At each
end of the bow is a knob of bone, or sometimes of wood covered with
leather, with a deep notch for the reception of the string.
Pages:
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233