Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-06-05
ARROW HEADS.
Methods Employed by tho skiifai Chill
dren of the West.

~CAnO0s h<AAPACyou " tho Shhhihoi Nnh-
dren of the West.
The manufacture OF flint arrow and
spear heads by the Apnches is equal,
n not superior, TO the manufactures OF
any tribes existing writes George Cat
lin. Like most OF the tribes west OF
and In the Rocky Mountains, they
manufacture the blades OF their spears
and points OF flint and also of obsidian,
which is scattered over those volcanic
regions west of the mountains; and
like the other tribes. they guard as II
profound secret the mode by which the
ilints and obsidian are broken into the
shape required.
Their mode is very simple. and evil
IDENTIFY the only way by which those
peculiar shapes and delicacy OF fracture
can possibly be produced. Every tribe
has its factory, in which these arrow
heads are made and in those only GER
tain adopts are able or allowed to
make them for the use OF the tribe
Erratic powders of flint are collected
sometimes brought an immense dis
tance), and broken with sort OF
sledge hammer made by a rounded
pebble OF hornstone, set in a twisted
withe. holding the stone and forming
handle.
The flint at the indiscriminate blows
of the sledge is broken into a hundred
pieces, and such flakes selected as from
the angle of their fracture and thick
ness will answer as the basis of an
arrow head, and in the hands of the
artisan they are shaped into the beau
tiful forms and proportions which they
desire, and which are to be seen in
most of our museums.
The master workman, seated on the
ground, lays one OF these flakes on the
palm Of his left hand, holding it firmly
down with two or more fingers of the
same hand. and with his right hand,
between the thumb and two forefngers,
places his chisel Tor punch) on the
point that is to be broken off; and
co-operator(a striker), sitting in front
of him, with mallet of very hard
wood. strikes the chisel on the upper
end, taking the flint off on the under
side, below each projecting poiut that
is struck. The flint is then turned and
Clipped in the same manner from the
opposite side, and so turned and
Clipped until the required shape and
dimensions are obtained, all the frac-
lures being made on the palm of the
hand.
In selecting flake for the arrow
head a nice Judgment must be used, or
the attempt Will fail. A flake with two
opposite parallel or nearly parallel
planes is found, and of the thickness
required for the center of the arrow
point. The first chipping reaches near
TO the center of these planes, but with
out quite breaking it away, and each
chipping is shorter and shorter, until
the shape aud the edge OF the arrow
head are formed
The yielding elasticity of the palm
of the hand enables the chip TO come
off without breaking the body of the
flint, which would be the case if they
were broken on hard substance. The
instrument (punch) which they use,
/ was told, was a piece of bone; but on
examining it | found it TO be sub
stance much harder made of the tooth
(incisor) of the sperm whale or sea
lion, which are often stranded on the
coast of the Pacific. This punch is
about six or seven inches in length and
one inch. in diameter, with one rounded
side and two plain sides, therefore pre-
senting one acute and two obtuse an
giles to suit the points TO be broken.