Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-11-05
Hunting the Walrus..-A New Field of
Adventure in the Arctic.

AuNbuluI6 III INC AICllCs
THE little schooner San Diego, Capt.
Cathcart, arrived in port on Tuesday,
after a five months cruise in pursuit of
walrus among the islands of Behring's
Sea. The ivory and oil of these huge
hyperboreans are utilized for various
manufacturing purposes, but the market
heretofore has been supplied by whalers,
who, when whales were scarce, eked out
a cargo with the product of the walrus.
To the usual articles of ivory and oil,
the San Diego has added the hides of
these immense animals. If they can be
extensively used, walrus-hunting must
speedily become a successful enterprise.
The San Diego, being only thirty-two
tons burden, is much too small a vessel
for other than private adventure. Her
crew, composed of hardy, resolute men,
have, however, returned from their
cruise with remunerative cargo, and
number of white and cinnamon bear
skins attest that their labors have not
been without incident. In a conversa-
ton with James Morrison, the intelligent
Mate, he informed a Chronicle reporter
that walrus abound in immense numbers
among the islands of the Behring's Sea.
Like the seal, they Chamber up the rocks
and beaches, and, huddling closely,
slee1 for days without movement. In
thistOnditiOn they can be readily APP
preached, and by skillful marksmen
shot at will. The crew of the San Diego
shot 700 in one shOal on the beach at
Hall Island, before the myriads COM
posing it took to the water for safety.
Many of them weighed over 5000
pounds. Owing to violent storm but
200 of this number were secured. Near
Cape Upright and the southeastern end
of st. Matthew's Island, eighty-one
were shot, and another storm occurring
during which both anchors were lost,
obliged the return of the vessel before
the cruise was half completed. Here
tofore the method of capturing walrus
which this method occasioned soon rem
dered it impracticable. The plan
adopted by the crew of the San Diego
was for each man, armed with Win
chester or Sharps' rifle, to approach
the sleeping animals cautiously, and
shoot at the particular portion of the
skull covering the brain. Any failure
to penetrate the brain does not kill.
The front of the head is impervious to a
bullet, and the neck is so well protected
by the blubber that ball produces no
other effect than to alarm aud excite the
animal, and thus cause the entire shoal
to take to the water. Every shot must
kill instantly, without producing any
commotion, or the game disappears.
The walrus is very stupid unless dis
turbed, when it fights with great power.
Throwing its immense head back so as
to elevate the tusks to horizontal po-
sition, it springs forward, and by a
rapid move of the head is enabled to
strike with unerring aim any object
within three or four feet. Woe to the
man or animal within that limit. He is
transtixed in moment. Fights among
the males are frequent and terrific, Of
ten terminating in the death of one or
both. Few females are found in Beh-
rings Sea during the summer months,
the theory among hunters being that
they pass this season with their young
in the Arctic and appear below the
straits late in the fall and winter. I'm
like the seal, they have habit of sleep
ing in the water, with the head par
tally exposed. The ivory of the wal
rus sells readily for forty-five and fifty
cents per pound. Billiard balls, cane
heads, and all ivory articles of
similar size are made OF it here, but
the larger part of it is sent to China and
used extensively in the manufacture of
Chinese ornaments. The oil Is equal in
quality to whale oil, commands the same
price, and is used for the same pur-
poses. The hides are from one and
half TO two inches in thickness. When
tanned they furnish a superior article of
betting for heavy machinery, and are
unsurpassed for polishing silver plate.
White bears are numerous in Behring's
Sea, and the crew of the San Diego OBJ
tanned the skins Of seven or eight that
they shot on the islands. They also
killed large number of large cinnamon
bears in Alaska. On one occasion, while
engaged in the slaughter Of walruses on
Hall Island, hunter, while in the act
of reloading his gun, startled BY a rustic
on the beach, looked around, and to his
great dismay beheld an enormous white
bear seated within twenty feet of the
spot he occupied. Dropping his gun,
he started on a run, and was followed
hotly by the bear, who gained on him at
every leap. A comrade perceiving his
danger, directed his aim at the ferocious
beast, and was fortunate enough to kill
him, but not until he was in leaping dis
tance of his intended prey. The climate
of Behring's Sea is cold and foggy, and
daylight during the months of June and
July is of about eighteen hours' dura-
ton. Very little ice is to be seen there
in the summer; the islands are barren,
and the whole region unpromising for
any other than fishing and maritime pur-
poses. Owing to the shallowness of the
water, storms there, which are frequent,
make very turbulent and dangerous
navigation.-Sd Francisco Chronicle.
1t is best TO look the inevitable in
IL. L.. 81 -. IL = ~