Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-12-29
WALRUS HUNTING.
Our New Sporting GrOund-A Thrill
ling Story Of the Chase I'm Russian
America.


ling Story Of the Chase I'm Russian
America.
A correspondent of the Chicago Tribune,
writing from Port Clarence, Russian
America, narrates the following:
While at Cingegan, an Esquimax vilr
lage of 200 inhabitants, on the straits, /
accompanied the natives in one of their
walrus hunts in Behring's sea, which was
both dangerous and exciting. Their boats,
which are made of walrus hides, stretched
over light wooden frames of driftwood,
fifteen feet long, are kept near the waters
edge in readiness TO start without loss of
time. With the wind fair, we started.
About fifty boats, each containing nine
Esquimax, showed off from the land and
ice at the same time, and general race
was INDUCED in as we padded out to sea.
The scene was grand and exciting.
Every Indian pulled with all his strength,
shouting and hooting as they lodged among
the ice foes with bare heads, and hair
streaming in the wind This was kept up
until we were about forty miles out from
shore, when they became separated in their
search for walrus. Here a stop was made
to listen for the bark of the animals, which
were heard about mile ahead of u.s. One
of the Indians exclaimed, ah-mal-yak- tok
(great many and we padded hastily for
ward until we were in sight of the walrus,
which were lying on the foes in large num-
bers, as far as the eye could reach, playing
with their young. Here another stop was
made, and every thing gotten ready for the
attack. Spears, guns and harpoons were
placed where they could be seized instant
iy, and large walrus-hide rope was
stretched the whole length of the boat Just
inside the gunwale, to each end of which
we're attached large sealskin bnoys.
Ksp-ar-tuks were put on over their deer
skin coats, and every dark object carefully
hidden from the view of the animals After
these preparations, we padded rapidly and
noiselessly forward, shooting the bow of the
boat up on to the foe which had been
selected with the largest number of walrus
upon it. As they plunged off in the water
each Indian hurled his spear into one of
them, aud fastened the line attached to its
head to the rope connecting the buoys in
| the boat, which were Immediately thrown
overheard and the captured walrus allowed
| to plunge and snort around in the water.
| As they come to the surface they are killed
by thrusting long lance through the body,
or shot in the head when they do not come
close enough to be lanced. When all were
| killed they were towed to a large foe,
hauled out, skinned and dressed.
This is the work of but a moment, as
those Esquimaux are we'll skilled in the
use of the knife, and thoroughly under
stand the anatomy of these animals. After
the operation of dressing, every part of the
animal, except the gall, for which they
have no use, was thrown into the boat, and
we started for more padding and sailing
around among the foes for nearly two days
without success. A heavy fog settled down
upon us, and wewere lost for several hours,
when it cleared away. with strong south
wind, which rendered our position ex-
tremely critical, as
The ice was here, the ice was there,
1 The ice was all around;
| 1t crack'd and groNl'd and rOar'd and how'd,
| Like noises in a sound.
Our escape seemed almost miraculous,
an opening happening to occur, through
] which we dodge until we reached open
| water, when we set sail and reached shore
in safety, after being three days out, with
but very little to eat. Several boats have
gone out in this manner andnever returned.