More about Submarine Exploration

1868 Scientific American  
The lecturer baving minutely described and exhibited the one pointed spears of different savage tribps, said tbat the South Sea Islanders occasion'l.lly poison their spears by thrust ing them into a corpse, and leaving them while the flesh de coys. The spear is generallJ and was probably originally thrown simply by the hand. �everal races however, now possess an implement for the purpose, which is called a "throwing stick " or " spear caster." This throwing stick is a fiat piece of hard wood,
more » ... 'nerally, but not always, broader in the middle, with a piece of bone or tooth at one end as a catch for the end of the spear, and a lump of gum at the other to keep the band from slipping. The spear caster seems to be unknown in Asia, Urica and Europe, but it is used by the Esquimax, and by one of the Brazilian trites. The arrow f"llows naturally after the smaller spear or jave lin-indeed, the only way in which it can be distinguished sati�factorily is by the presence at the hinder end of a notch for the spring; for, though generally feathered at the en.i, many are bare. The bow and arrow, though very genellllly distributed, are not universal. The Australians and New Zealanders were entirely ignorant of them, nor are they used
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican08261868-132 fatcat:wim2q4ttojfrljehu2vmgpkqoa