Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-08-16
WALRUS HUNTING.
LIEUT.. ScHWATKA's ACCOUNT or
THE EXCITING SPORT.
Wsten--Hos the EsguimAux Hsr.
pOon and Shoot Their Game
Meat and Blabber.
New York World

pooh and Shoot Their Game
Meat and Blabbsr.
New York World
Early August, ISIS. saw rs landing in
North Hudson's bay, tie ice having disap-
peared from the water on both the lakes
and the sea About ten miles to the east
| ward Of our camp was . small isolated
island. an Insignificant looking affair, COW
ering half an acre, or less but quite promi-
nent from being the only island in such q
| conspicuous place. Hero the walrus congro-
| gated In large numbers whom there were NO
cakes Of ice on which they could crawl, and
here the Esquimaux repaired to hunt them.
| A Notwithstanding party Of Junuits, IS the
| Esquimaux call themselves. may b anything
| from two or three to that of many dozen,
| although six to ten is fair sample. They
take their large sealskin scows, or oomiens,
holding a score Of these people, should the
party be large, or . white mans whaleboat
il handy, and with three Or four small skin
canoes-kiaks-weighin about forty or
fifty pounds apiece they repair to the north
ern half Of the island, their weapons being
guns lances harpoons, lines and noata
They always try to select . fine, clear
day. with but little sea at the time; in fact,
II very rough they never attempt one Of
these hunts and their greatest fear ID that .
storm may arise while they arc engaged in
1t, for to reach the island, make . succe ,sful
catch. cut it up and return requires the
greater part Of day, and the summer day
Of north Hudson's bay Is q generous allo-
pathic one OF many hours. followed by .
very homeopathic night Unless very quiet
they never essay the passage in their
oomiens but will risk much more In the
whaleboats, a number Of which they possess
and manage as we'll Is tho white men
The hunting party nearing the Island. all
conversation is stopped or dropped to necss-
sary whispers. tho oars are piled Is II they
were mufiled and all movements arc done
silently as possible. for the walru. has an
acute ear although it is very small Hav-
ing complsted the landing noiseles>ly their
weapons are made ready.
The first weapon usei on the animal IL the
harpoon. 1t is similar to the harp on the
whalers, which has been probably Dor.
rowed from it and q zap ed to civilized To-.
1t is about six feet | n, With barbsd psar
point or head which, driven bsnsath the
tough skin OF the wairus. the baro turns and
In doing % becomes detacied from The
handle. which is thr wn or hoats away ss
II may happen to be on land or in the water
where it is struck. Attached to thi, barber
head is Q .trong. supple line Of IA nned seal
skin about twenty or thirty feet long. abo1t
the sixe OF rope called clothes line" and
three or four times as strong. This is wound
around the natives neck when he has the
walrus spear in his hand. At the other end
il . large inflated seal kin noat about the
size Of . ten gallon key. or probably . little
larger. This IS sometime; allowed to hang
over the hunters back-for il weigh, little
or ncthing-or . companion. generally
boy, may hold It for him walking behind
him a. he steals on the animal with careful
stsps
Every projecting stone or hillock Of sand
Is taken advantage Of in getting IS near 90
possible to tho clumsy monsters. and when
tho limo OF hun ers, six or seven In number,
are as close as they can crawl without show
ing themselves or attracting attention.
signal is given by one, q loud shout Of
"I-yiyir and with three or four nimble
bounds for ward the hunters are each within
striking distance Of the selected walrus and,
burying the spear head in the animals thick
hide. they commence paying out the line
from around their head with lightning like
rapidity as the huge brute descends the
steep slope, and when its end Is reached they
throw the light float high in the air with
merry -Aknyah!' equivalent to our slang
@Go it!' and possibly it may not strike the
ground at all, SO swift is the walrus escap-
ing, or II it does it Is with . bound that
sends it clear into the sea just rs the object
at the other end Of the line goes into 1t too
with a splash that can only be made by ton
Of tough meat striking an incoming
breaker
As soon as the herd has gained the water
tie hunters rush for their kiaks and boats
in which TO pursue the walrus, especially
thoss that are swimming away with the
0oats, their arms being tho guns and lancss
When speared walrus gains the water he
at once dives, carrying the float down with
minutes the noet bobs up about 100 yards
away and a second or two after Is followed
by the animal coming to the surface TO
breathe, which he does with loud puffs and
snorts, -blowing" water into the air like
small whale. II again frightened by the
near approach Of his enemies be takes two
or three gasps Of breath and goes down again,
to reappesr . trife sooner than BE-
fore. for it Is a herculean work TO keep the
float down with him under water II ~
verely pressed, that is, fired at ev. ~ tims
his head appears. or thrust at with . lance,
he gets but little breathing time above, and
after the float has been down Q dozen or Q
score Of times. each interval less, the nearly
exhausted walrus ceases to drag IL under
with him. and when be dives to escape his
tormentors, be simply draws Il along the
surface ike q small fish with . large cork
As son as the hunters have gained their
canoes and boats away they scJrry after the
spsared walrus and the second one hobs hin
head above water shot from q gun, or .
lance thrust II he be near, greets his appear
ance.
The minute Q walrus is slain he is care
fully dragged to the shore and . few places
cut in his hide % as IN secure more lines,
and by means Of working at alternative
snds be Is placed above the water, or far
enough At lsast 70 allow them to begin cut
ting him up. This Is done into ten or twelve
divisions Of about 80 pounds each, one side
of each huge cube being the SKIN. Thess
pieces are folded over so that the edges Of
the skin come together. when they Are
sswed with a lashing. and each bundle.
therefore, has only tbs skin outsids, and in
thing in the world, 80 tough h The hide.
The bead. one fore Hipper and one
hind one falls 70 the man Who struck
u walrus, and the rest IL diviisd
among the huntenR to b again divided
and divided and divided with each new |
party they may encounter until IL Is eaten |
up These bundles Of meat are taken to TIE
nearest isiand-for Walrus island b sub /
merged at the hiGhsst tid0-and each /
bundle covered with hugo stones 20 prevent |
the deprsda tions Of polar bear, wolves and /
q her arctic cAruiyOrR