Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-12-14
LIEUT.. sCHWATKA AS A kUsK.ox
HUNTER.

The leader of the overland arctic cx
pedition of 1879 describes, in the sep
tember Century, A Musk-Ox Hunt
with the aid Of numerous illustrations
He says OF their first chase after tn,
game: "Great fears were cnicrtainc,
by the experienced hunters tha, tl,
musk-oxen had heard our approach. an,
were now probably doing Their levr
best to escape The slclgca We're in,
mediately stopped and the dogs rapid,
unhitched from them, from one % thrc,
or four being given 10 each Of the eleven
men and boys, whit" or native, tina,
were present, who, taking their harness.
es in their left hands ar tying them in
slip-nooses around their waists. started
without delay upon the trail, leaving
the two sledges and few of the poorer
dogs in charge Of the lnnuit women,
who had come along for that PURPOSE
! and who would follow on the trail with
the empty sledges a. soon ~ firing was
heard. The dogs, many Of them old
musk-ox huntt<s, and with appciiics
doubly sharpencd by hard work and n
constantly diminishing ration. ,uggctl
like mad at their seal-skin harness lines,
as they half buried their noses in the
tumbled snow of the trail, and hurried
their attached human being along Mt a
flying rate that threatened broken
limb or neck at each of the rough gor-
ges and jutting precipices Of the broken.
stony hill-land, where the exciting chase
was going on. The rapidity with which
an agile native hunter can run when
thus attached to two or three excited
dogs is astonishing. Whenever u steep
valley was encountered the Es1uimaux
would slide down on their feet. in u sit.
ting posture, throwing the loose snow
to their sides like escaping steam from
a kissing locomotive, until the bo,iom
was reached, when, quick NJ thouuht.
they would throw themselves at full
length upon the snow, and the wild. ex-
cited brutes would drag them up the
other side, where, regaining their feet.
they would run on at u constantly ac-
celebrating gait, their guns in the mean
time being held in the right hand or
hShtif idsneu upon tHe DICK.
ave had hardly gone u mile in this
harum-scarum chase before il became
evident that the musk oxen were but a
short distance ahead on the keen run,
and the foremost hunters began loosen
ing their dogs to bring the oxen To hay
as soon as possible; and then, for the
first time, these intelligent creatures
gave tongue in deep, long baying, ~
they shot forward like arrows, ant dis
over the crests Of the hills
amidst a perfect bewilderment of frying
snow and fiuttering harness traces.
The discord of shouts and howlings
told us plainly that some Of the animals
had been brought to bay not far distant,
and We soon heard a rapid series Of
sharp reports from the brceclr-loa,lers
and magazine guns Of the advanced
hunters. We white men arrived jus
in time to See the final struggle. The
oxen presented a most formidablc-look-
ing appearance, with their rumps firmly
wedged together, complete circle Of
swaying horns presented 10 the front,
with great blood-shot eycballs glaring
like red-hot shot amidst the escaping
steam from their painting nostrils. and
paving and plunging at the circle Of ia.
rious dogs that encompassed them. The
rapid blazing Of magazine guns righ, In
their faces-so close, often, as TO burn
their long, shaggy hair-added TO the
striking scene. Woe to the over-xealous
dog that was unlucky enough to get his
harness line under the hoofs Of chare-
ing and infuriated musk-ox; for they
will follow up leash along the ground
with a rapidity and certainty that would
do credit to tight-rope performer, and
either paw the poor creature to death or
fling him high. in the mir with their
horns."