The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1883-09-20
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HUNTING THE MUSK.OX.
An Incident In Lieutenant Schwatka's E1'
perience In the Arctic Regions.

An Incident in Lieutenant Schwatka's E1'
perience In the Arctic Regions.
Lieutenant Schwatka, the leader OF
the overland Arctic expedition of 1879,
describes in the Century "A Musk-Ox
Hunt" He says Of their lirst chase
after the game: "Great fears were en-
tertained by the experienced hunters
that the musk-oxen had heard our ap-
proach, and were now probably doing
their level best to escape. The sledges
were Immediately stopped and the
dogs rapidly unhitched from them,
from one to three Or four being given
to each Of the eleven men and boys,
white or native, that were present,
who, taking their harnesses in their
left hands OF tying them in
slip-nooses around their waists,
started without delay upon the
trail, leaving the two sledges and
a few Of the poorer dogs in charge OF
the Innuit women, who had come
along for that purpose, and who would
follow on the trail with empty sied5es
as soon as firing was heard. The dogs,
many OF them old musk-oX hunters,
and with appetites sharpened by hard
work and a constantly diminishing ra-
tion, tugged like mad at their seal-skin
harness lines, as they half buried their
eager noses in the tumbled Snow of the
trail, and hurried their attached hui
man beings along at flying rate that
threatened broken limb or neck at
each Of the rough gorges and juttsng
precipices Of the broken, stony hill
land, where the exciting chase was 60
ing on. The rapidity with which an
agile native hunter can run when thus
attached to two or three excited dogsls
astonishing. Whenever steep valley
was encountered the E, quimaux would
slide down on their feet, in a sitting
posture, throwing the looe snow to
their sides like escaping steam from
locomotive, until the bottom was
reached, when, quick as thought, they
would throw themselves at full length
upon the snow, and the wild, excited
brutes would drag them up the other
side, where, regaining their feet, they
would run on at q constantly accelera-
ting gait, their guns in the meantime
being held in the right hand or tightly
lasheI upon the back.
eve had hardly gone a 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 tc bay
as oon as possible; and then, for the
first time, these intelligent creatures
gave tongue in deep, long baying, as
they shot forward like arrows, and dis
appeared over the crests Of the hills
amid perfect bewildefment OF fly
ing snow and fluttering harness traces.
The discord of shouts and howlings
told us plainly that some of the AMI
mails had been brought to bay not rar
distant, and we soon heard a rapid
series Of sharp reports from the breech-
leaders and magazine guns OF the ad-
vaneed hunters. We white men ar
rived Just in time to see the linal Strug-
gle. The oxen presented a most for
midable-looking appearance, with their
rumps firmly wedged together. a COM
plete circle of swaying horns pre-
sented to the front, with great blood
shot eyeballs glaring like red-hot shot
amid the escaping steam from their
painting nostrlls, and paving and
plunging at the circle Of furious dogs
that encompassed them. The rapid
blazing of magazine guns right in
their faces-so close, often, as to burn
their long, shaggy Eair-added to the
striking scene. Woe to the over
Jealous dog th2t was unlucky enough
to get his harness line under the hoofs
of a charging and inturiated musk-ox;
for they will follow up a leash along
the ground with a rapidity and GER
tainty that would do credit to tight
rope performer, and either paw the
poor creature to death or fling him
high in the air with their horns"