The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-08-10

time a dense fog arcs" -. ,,,hnr,
~ :. :. WAS soon out of sight of
Tie island. The fog lasted several
days, and when it lifted the skappor
and his companions saw no signs of
their own or any other sloop upon the
sea, and there stared them in the face
the dread alternative of passing VIM
ter of severe cold and starvation, pro-
badly death, upon the island, or of at
tempting to cross the stormy $50 miles
of sea, which divided them from Nor
way, in an open boat. Tile latter
chance was chosen like bold fellows,
One of the boats was abandoned, and
the eight men got into the other, with
as much bear meat as they could stow,
and rowed for dear life to the south;
hungry, thirsty and fatigued, they
reached the coast of Finmarken in eight
days. T-Ea. H5..
Old seal and walrus hunters are &C.
static in their descriptions of the sum
mer weather in the Spitzbergen,seas,
and even "nipping and an eager air
is needed very little when occasionally
felt, as the wild excitement of chasing
the noble sea quarry renders them
quite oblivious to the temperature.
| Nothing, they say, can exceed the sub
lime grandeur of a really fine day-the
sea calm and bright, with thousands of
| tloatin. icebergs and ice-hoes; no
sound save the cracking of the glaciers
or the hoarse believing of the sea-
| horse and sea-dog, and the wild screams
of the gulls and the croaks of the
| divers. Such a day is an interestingly
beautiful and enjoyable one for row
and hunt among the floating ice.
The Norwegian seaman on the look
out above announces the glad tidmgS:
"Hrdalj7ts p0d IseU" Walrus on the
ice). The boats are manned, five pair
of oars piled swiftly, but carefully,
toward the fiat icebergs upon which
the walruseS are taking rest. Ere
| quently the animals are on the alert.
and move off into the water before 50
much as shot can be had at them.
Often, however, the boat approaches
near enough to allow the throwing of
the harpoon. When the walrus is shot
upon the ice great care must be trken,
and much haste made by the rowers,
lest the animal in his death struggles.
roll from the ice into the sea, in which
case the skin and blubber are irrevoca-
bly, lost. This happens not mfre-
quently, both III the case Of the walruS
and seal.
Sometimes herd Of, perhaps, hun
dred, roaring, believing, blowing,
snorting and slashing walruSes, ac-
companied by acres Of foam, are en-
cOuntered. The harpooner stands with
one foot in the thwart, the other on
the front locker of his boat: the line
is coiled in his right hand, and
the long shaft Of the harpOon grasped
IN both, the weapon balanced ready for
dart. In this position he directs the
course of the crew, us he can frequent
ly, standing upright in the bow of the
boat, see the Walruses under water.
The herd keep closely together, and
dive simultaneously. One moment a
hundred grizzly heads and long gleam-
ing white tuSks are seen above the
waves; one spout from their blow
holes, one breath of fresh air, and then
they disappear. On goes the boat. up
come the sea-hOrseS again. They are
pretty close this time, and before they
can draw 4 breath the boat is in the
midst of them; the harpoon whizZes
through the air, the line is drawn tight
over the gunWale, and walrus is
"fast.' The walruS struggles madly
to draw the boat under an iceberg, but
after a while the lines are drawn in,
and vigorous application of the lance
soon settles the bushes. The skin
and blubber are then .tIensed from the
animal, and the carcass sinks.
The walrus is said to be an inoffen-
Sive beast, but hunting him is far from
child'S play. Instances are related
where sailors have been gored and torn
to pieces upon their tusks. The sides
of boats have also been considerably
and in many cases, irremediaEly dam
aged by them. Some time ago skyp-
par was seized by an infatuated COW
walrus and twice dragged to the bot
tom Of the sea, and very narrowly es-
capped drowning. They frequently
fight among themselves upon the ice,
and use their tuSks with considerable
| execution, as game-cOcks use their
| beakS. These tuSkS are engagements
and notifications of the eye-teeth, and
are imbedded six OF seven inches in
! the hard bone of the front part of the
head. They are used for blowing the
sand at the bottom of the sea, in search
of food. The calf Walrus has no tllsks
the first year. The sea-horSe has a
terrific muStache of strong, transpar-
ent, bristly hair, about six inches long
| and thick us crow-quill; the eyes are
| fierce-lOOking and bloodShot; and the
head, as seen above water, presents
somewhat of a demoniacal appearance.
The most successful way of taking
| ii Il, l.,
the head. He, too, resembles the wal
rus, and the Irishman's flea, in your
not having him just when you think
you've got him, for unless you kill him
stone dead he'll "take tumble" as
the boys say, and drop into the sea.
The seal, not infrequently, however.
in his inquisitive way, approaches the
boat. He is then harpooned and dis
patched with haak-picks. A frll-sized
Spitzbergen seal, in good condition, is
from nine and a half to ten feet in
length, about six and half feet in cir
conference, and weighs 600 pounds, of
which the skin and blubber form half.
The walruS has not near as much fat,
or blubber, in proportion to his size, as
the seal, walrus of 1000 pounds rare
ly producing over $50 pounds of fat.
1t is a terribly hard and dangerous
life the Spitzbergen walrus-hunters
live, and their eyes have a weary, rest
less look, as if continually in the pres
ence of danger. They are, like tars