The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. VI. Being the Second of the Third VoyageCook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. VI. Being the Second of the Third Voyage
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
We can say nothing as to the manner of their catching or killing land
animals, unless we may suppose that they shoot the smaller sorts with
their arrows, and engage bears, or wolves and foxes, with their spears.
They have, indeed, several nets, which are probably applied to that
purpose[47]; as they frequently throw them over their heads, to shew
their use, when they brought them to us for sale. They also, sometimes
decoy animals, by covering themselves with a skin, and running about
upon all fours, which they do very nimbly, as appeared from the
specimens of their skill, which they exhibited to us, making a kind of
noise or neighing at the same time; and, on these occasions, the masks,
or carved heads, as well as the real dried heads, of the different
animals, are put on.
As to the materials of which they make their various articles, it is to
be observed, that every thing of the rope kind is formed either from
thongs of skins, and sinews of animals, or from the same flaxen
substance of which their mantles are manufactured. The sinews often
appeared to be of such a length, that it might be presumed they could be
of no other animal than the whale. And the same may be said of the bones
of which they make their weapons already mentioned; such as their
bark-beating instruments, the points of their spears, and the barbs of
their harpoons.
Their great dexterity in works of wood may, in some measure, be ascribed
to the assistance they receive from iron tools; for, as far as we know,
they use no other; at least, we saw only one chisel of bone. And though
originally, their tools must have been of different materials, it is not
improbable that many of their improvements have been made since they
acquired a knowledge of that metal, which is now universally used in
their various wooden works. The chisel and the knife are the only forms,
as far as we saw, that iron assumes amongst them. The chisel is a long
flat piece, fitted into a handle of wood. A stone serves for a mallet,
and a piece of fish-skin for a polisher. I have seen some of these
chisels that were eight or ten inches long, and three or four inches
broad; but in general, they were smaller. The knives are of various
sizes; some very large, and their blades are crooked, somewhat like our
pruning-knife; but the edge is on the back or convex part. Most of them
that we saw, were about the breadth and thickness of an iron hoop; and
their singular form marks that they are not of European make. Probably,
they are imitations of their own original instruments, used for the same
purposes. They sharpen these iron tools upon a coarse slate whetstone;
and likewise keep the whole instrument constantly bright.
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