Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1861-08-17
A Season with the WalruS.

A Season With the WairuS.
Mr.. Lamont, Fellow of the Geo
graphical. Society of London, has just
published book entitled "Season with
the Sea-Horses, or Sporting adventures
in the Northern Seas" He spent a
summer in sealing sloop which went
as far as Spitzbergen.
The results Of the cruise were 46
walruses, SO seals, bears, l white
whale and 81 reindeer, besides some
90 walruses and 40 seals killed but lost.
The great Spitzbergen seal is ten feet
long, six feet in circumference, worth
five or six dollars for its oil, its skin be-
ing worth a dollar Or two more. A
bushel Of nice fresh spawns found in
the stomach Of one of them, was evi-
dence Of seals diet. In cutting up
some large seals he found in their stom-
achs bushel or go a piece of small
fish, about five or six inches long, re-
sembling young cod.
He thinks there are no fish of any
size in the Spitzbergen seas, for they
often tried with hook and line, but
could never catch any. In walrus fish
ing, when a young walrus is caught,
by making it grunt or cry whole herd
Of walruses can be brought within
leach.
A fall-sized walrus weighs 5 900 lbs,
but Yields only about double the guam
tity of oil got from good seal. Its
hide is worth from four to eight dollars.
and used for harness, sails, rigging, and
for gIuing, while sealskins are convert
ed into dog gloves and "Dundee
kid"
Young walrus meat is good, and
without the disagreeable fshy flavor
Of seal. Toward the end of August
walruses herd on islands or the main
land, along secluded bays, in closely
packed masses, sometimes to the num-
Der Of several thousand, where they re-
main III 3 semi-torpid state for weeks to-
gether. He has frequently seen the old
males fighting with great ferocity. One
would imagine from the position Of their
tusks, that they could only be used to
strike downward, but he says they can
turn their necks with such facility that
they can strike either upward, down
ward or sidewise, with equal dexterity.
They frequently get their tusks broken.
The use Of the tusk in time Of peace is
to plow their food out Of the ground at
the bottom Of the sea, and also to aid
them i'll clambering mp ice and rocks.
They are often found covered with
scars and wounds received from fisher
men, bears and one another. a full
sized male bear is upward Of feet in
length and d feet high at the shout
der. He yields 400 pounds of bluober,
and his skin weighs more than 100 lbs.
He lives principally on seals. When
he slips into the water half q mile or so
to the leeward OF his prey, swims slow
ly ard silently toward him, keeping
very little of his head above water
On approaching the ice on which the
seal is lying, the bear glides along un-
seen under the odge of it, diving ALSO,
if need be, until he is close under his
bapless seal, when one jump and
blow from his tremedous paw generally
settle the business. The seal cannot
escape unless he can get into the water
where the bear has no chance.
Mr.. Lamont shot at least dozen
large seals which were deeply Scared
and gashed from the claws of BEARS
An old bear will kill the biggest bull
walrus, although nearly times his own
weight, by suddenly springing on him
from behind some projecting ice, seiz-
ing him by the back of the neck with
his teeth, and battering in his skull
with repeated blows Of his enormous
fore paw. He found one bear at the
distance of twenty miles from the
shore,
a coupl. Of young bears which they
captured Immediately began a furious
fight with each other, regardless of hu
man presence, to which they appeared
to pay but little attention. After max
ing hearty meal of their poor moth
er's carcass, the ungrateful cubs were
taken on board. They are now in the
Jardin des Plantes at Paris. Mr.. La
mont thinks the flesh Of the reindeer
the richest and most delicious meat he
ever tasted, wild or tame, with the ex-
ception of fat Eland, and a diminu-
tive West Indian animal, called by the
negroes the Lapp.
ADJOURNMENT OF CONGRESS. Con