File:History of Inventions USNM 24 Harpoon Barb.png

The barbed harpoon (series 1) retrieves the animal by hooking into its skin or flesh. Its parts are the shaft or manual portion, and the head or working portion. In some examples the tang of the head is driven into the end of the shaft, in which case the imple- ment is generally termed a spear; in other cases the butt end fits loosely into the shaft, so as to be easily withdrawn; it is then a harpoon. A short piece of line or rawhide is tied around a knob or through a hole in the head, and at the other end is fastened to the shaft. When the animal is struck the barb becomes hooked under the skin of the game, whose motions withdraw the head from the shaft, so that it is not broken. The line enables the hunter to retrieve. This type of apparatus begins with a natural object, which may have spines upon it, and passes through a refinement of the various portions of the structure in adapting it to animals of different sizes and habits. In fresh water the retriever is little more than a hand device for seizing, but among the Polynesians the handles to barbed spears used in sea fishing are 20 feet long. The Fuegians use a barbed head on a shaft quite as long, and the two parts are united by means of a short line. No. 1. Bone head for small barbed harpoon ; barb cut on one side. Heads of

this kind are driven into the end of a shaft 100,583

No. 2. Patagonian harpoon head with one large barb. This head fits loosely

into the end of a long shaft and is attached by a short line 131,217

No. 3. Patagonian harpoon head with 21 barbs, all on one side. Fits loosely

in the end of the shaft 131,219

No. 4. Patagonian harpoon heads, arrow-shaped ; tang fitting in a socket at the

end of the shaft ; attached to the shaft by short line__ 131,218, 129,488

ART. 9. HISTORY OF INVENTIONS HOUGH. 25

No. 5. Ancient harpoon beads from Fi*ench caves In form of arrowheads with many barbs ; made to fit loosely in the end of the shaft ; short connect- ing line tied in a hole or around the tang 100,530, 8,145

No. 6. Ancient Peruvian harpoon heads, each having a bone shank and barbs of hardwood seized on near the point. The butt fits in a socket, and the

head is attached to a line 176.795 (3)

No. 7. Ancient Peruvian harpoon head in three parts ; arrow-shaped blade of quartz inserted and wrapped with cotton thread ; barb of bone Avi-apped on the shank ; shank of wood, with butt terminating in a

cone to be inserted in the shaft 176,796

No. 8. Kodiak harpoon head, Alaska. Head of chert, set in a shank of bone and wrapped with sinew thi'ead ; shank winged and round on the back ; barbs three, made by saw cuts in the wing, butt tapering to fit in a

socket 73,292

No. 9. Harpoon head from Mackenzie River, similar to No. 8, except that through trade with whalers and the Hudson Bay Company an iron

blade, riveted, replaces one of stone 7,420

No. 10. Harpoon heads of native copper and iron in one piece, from Sitka,

Alaska. The barbs are all on one side 6,564

No. 11. Harpoon head of iron, from the Haida Indians, of Queen Charlotte Islands. Blade, barbs, and shank all in one piece; barbs alternating on the two sides of the shank ; tang flattened and rounded for inser- tion ; line braided from sinew 88,927

No. 12. Barbed seal harpoon from Norton Sound, Alaska, showing the barbed head, the foreshaft and its attachment to the shaft, the martingale or leader fastening the head to the shaft after the former is de- tached 33,944

No. 13. Shell-point barbed whale harpoon with leader. Makah Indians, Van- couver Island, British Columbia

No. 14. GafC hook from China with harpoon point and single barb, socketed to be fixed on a shaft

No. 15. Barbed harpoon head or lily iron, of brass, for swordfish ; barbs hinged to close in entering the fish and open for retrieving ; butt socketed ;