Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-05-01
, THE WALRUS HUNT.

Morton was full of the one he Witnessed;
and his account oft when he cane back
was so graphic that 1 should be glad ito
escape from the egotisn- of personal mar
ratiVe ny giving it in his iown words
Let meahrst, however, endeavor to de-
scribe the animal. H---s-s7g ,g... (
The specimens in the museums Of col.
lectors are imperfect. on- account of the
drying of thesskin of the face against the
skull. The head of the walrus has no.
the characteristics oval of the seal: on the
contrary, the frontal bone is so covered
as to present1a steep descent to the eyes,
and square. blocked out aspect to the
upper face. The muEzle is less protru.
ding than the seals, and the cheeks
and lips are completely masked by
the heavy, quilklik bristles, Add to
this the tusks as garniture 70 the lower
face, and you have Tor the walrus grim,
teroclous aspect peculiarly his own.
have seen him with Ftusks nearly thirty
inches long: his body notices. than esh.
teen ieet. Mhen of this size he certain.
ly reminds yea OF the elephantmore than
any other living monster. sIaruL .
The resemblance Of the walrus to man
has been greatly over-ruted.i The notion
occurs ia our systematic treatises, accom-
panied with the suggestion that this ami
nal may have represented the merman
and mermaid. The square. blocked out
head which have noticed. effecLually de,
sIroys The resemblance to b umaniIy when
distant. a0d the colossal size does the
same when near. Some OF the seals de.
serve the distinction much more: the size
r.E 1l,.. hoo1 Rha 80 of Il,
oval. the droop of the shoulders, even the
movements of this animal, whether singly
or In group, remind you strikingly OF
man. --,ss-. .' .---H... /
The party which Morton attended up
on their walrus hunt had three sledges
One was to be takento a cache, in the
ueighborhood; the other two dragged at
squiek run toward the open water, about
ten miles off to the Southwest They
had but nine dogs to these two sledges,
one man only riding. the others running
by turns. AS they neared the new ice,
and where the blank wastes of mingle
cloud and water betokened the open sea-
they would from time to time remot 9
their hoods and listen aItentively for the
ami nails voice. ..- -.
After q, while Myouk became conyinc-
ed, from signs or sounus. or both-for
they were inaPpreciable. by Morton-that
the walruses were waiting for him in a
small space of recently>open water, that
was glazed over with a few days growth
OF ice; and, moving gently on. they soon
heard the characteristic below of bull
awuk. The walrus, like some of the highs
er order Of beiHgs to, which he. has been
roRnroroI 50 .fnnA e his
will lie for hours listening to. himself
His yocalization is something between the
~mooiQg OF a COW and deepest, braying of
the mastiff; yeey rouud aud full. with its
barks or detached notes repeated rather
quickly seven to nine, times in succession.
The party now formed in single file,
following in. each others steps: and i gui-
ded by AN Admirable knowledge Office to-
pography, wound behind ,hummocks aud
ridges In a serpentine approach toward a
group of ,pounndatike adiscolorations. re-
cently.frozen ice-spots, but surrounded by
firmer and older ice. ''aa' 'H' y
Whenawithin half mile 7of these, the
line broke. aud each, man crawled toward
- separate pool; Morton on his hands and
knees following Myouk. In few min
ntes the ,Ealruses we're in sight They
were Eve in number. rising at intervals
through the ice in body. and breaking
itupTwith an explosive puff that might
have been heard for miles. Two large
-grim'looking males we're conspicuous as
the leaders of the group.
Now for the marvel of the craft. When
the Walrus is above the water the hunter
issfat and motionless; . as he begins to
sink, alert and ready fora spring. The
animals head is hardly below the water
line before every man is in a rapid 1un :
and again. tas if by instinct. .>before' the
beast returns, all are .motiouless behind
Protecting. knolls of ice. They seem to
know bsforehsnd not only the time he
Wal be absent. hut the, ,very;spot at which
ne. will re-aPpear. In this way, hiding
and advancing by turns. Myouk, with
Morton at his heels. has reached a plate
OF thin ice. hardly strong enough 70 bear
them. at the very brink Of the water pool
the walrusss are curyetting in. ." 80.
Myouk. till nov. phlegma.ic, seems to
waken with exitement. His,coil of wal
rus-hide. a well.trimmed line Of MANY IA:
thoms length. stSlyipg at his side. He
dxes one end Of il in an iron barb. and
fastens this loosely by aosockes upon a
shaft ofunicorn s. horn; the other end is
already looped. or. as sailors would say.
: doubled in q bight."ts 1t is the work of
moment. He has grasped, the harpoon;
tns water Isiu motion. Putting with pent
Il b -. ~ 49,.