Indian Antiquary Vol 24

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 48

44
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEBRUARY, 1895.
13 (m). Shanen Kopaton (Car Nic. We-tabaku). And 14 (m). Shanen Yanoma (Car Nic. We-tabaku). With these weapons the Nicobarese arm themselves when visiting distant villages, in case of any serious dispute or attack taking place. They differ only in the size of the bladed head, the former being the larger of the two. They are sometimes used for spearing sharks.
15 (m). Shanen Harata. Pig spear with detachable head. The blade resembles that of the shanen monghoang (vide No. 11), and the arrangement for attaching it to the shaft is identical with that of the hinwenh (vide No. 22). The cord attachments and lashings of this, as well as of all the iron-headed spears and harpoons, are made with the bark fibre of the Gnetum gnemon (Nic. Het-toit, vide No. 145), of which great use is made.
16 (m). Chenòk-kolpal. A light single-pronged and barbed spear, used occasionally for collecting béche-de-mer along the shore for sale to Malay and Chinese traders. Sometimes used by, or on behalf of, mourners for spearing fish (vide No. 24), also for spearing any object in play.
17 (m). Miàn-momanya (lit., two-pronged spear) [C. N. Pak-ma]. Used for picking up béche-de-mer along the coast for sale to Malay traders and for spearing fish. The shafts of this and of the other miàń spears are made of light imported bamboos, the local variety of bamboo not being so well adapted for the purpose. Miàn denotes any spear having two or more barbed prongs.
18 (m). Min-lõe, lit., three-pronged spear. 19 (m). Míàn-foan, lit., four-(in a row) pronged spear. 20 (m). Miàn-kanòp, lit., four-(in a circle) pronged spear. And 21 (m). Mian-tanai, lit., five-pronged spear. Used for spearing fish by day and by torchlight at night. Sometimes also used for spearing flying-foxes, when hanging asleep from a branch: for this purpose a long bamboo pole is substituted for the ordinary shaft, so as to be able to reach the bat by a mere thrust.
22 (m). Hinwenh or Hinlak (Car. Nic. Lak). And 23 (m). Kan-shōka. Two descriptions of harpoons for spearing turtles, ray-fish, sharks, and dugongs. The latter weapon, being provided with a long line, which is held in the hand, is first thrown; after which, in order to render the capture more certain, the former is brought into use. The shaft of the hinwenh is of bamboo, but that of the kanshōka is of hard wood.
24 (m). Palahoma. Spear which alone can be used by, or on behalf of, mourners during the moarning period, and not before the Entoin memorial-feast, which occurs 3 or 5 "moons" after the death. The shaft consists of a short piece of strong, thin, flexible wood, and the iron-head is a single prong. Fish speared with any of the miàn (vide No. 17) spears cannot usually be eaten by mourners, as they possess more than one prong. At certain villages, however, two-pronged spears are conceded for this purpose. The palahoma is also used in play for spearing a cocoannt, which is rolled along the beach for the purpose.
25 (m). Hokpak (Car Nic. Pak). Wooden-pronged spear, for spearing garfish by torch
light. The lashings are of cane, and the shaft of bamboo.
26 (m). Shinpung or Opwah. Wooden-pronged spear, resembling the Hokpak (vide No. 25), but smaller: used for spearing sardines. The lashings are of the same fibre as that employed for the various iron-headed spears and harpoons.
27 (m). Hinyuan. Wooden spear with barb-like notched head, as used by the Shom Pen
Tribe both in hunting and, as a weapon, in their raids on the coast inhabitants. Similar spears are made by the latter for use in repelling hostile parties of
Shom Pen. The wood used is that of the Areca catechu.