Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-06-24

the side Of excitement, too. Not less than two
hunters are essential for q capture, and when
teet OF their Tettm thro cw th ah hn ur
mocky ice-for at these times the walrus keeps
very near the water, so near that the merest
motion is enough to throw him into the water,
for he cannot remain away from 1t long in the
intense cold
THE HAEPooN IS BURIED IN THE HIDE,
and as the animal rolls in the water, there
being no float to throw in after him, the two
hunters must keep firm hold on the line. As
he pulls away they slowly pay out the line with
q constantly increasing resistance until the
walrus gives way TO it little, when they take In
this playing backwards and forwards, like IAN an
angler with u huge game fish on his light line
and pole, is kept UP until the animal Is SO ex-
alongside and killed with u thrust from lance
or a shot through the head or neck. II fire.
arms are used, however, he may be shot at any
stage of the proceedings when he is quiet
enough for an aim. The greatest danger in
this chase Is from the line being cut over the
sharp edge of the ice where the wounded
beast may drag it, and to avoid this and to pay
out and pull In the line properly is an art in
Eskimaux hunting craft that only reaches
hunters ofthe tribe. Alongside of it the method
with the float attached, in the summer time, is
as mere ehiids play, and all struck are secured,
way the numbers secured are much less, and
worst of all to the Innuit mind when a walrus is
lost so Is his line. Much care and attention is
put on this part Of the weapon, as upon its rum
ming out smoothly without snarls or twists de-
ponds no little of the safety of the hunter who
has 1t wound around his neck until completely
paid out The walrus has about an inch and a
half to two inches of blubber directly under his
skin, and this is used by the natives to get oil
for their lamps while they
DEvoUR LARGE QUANTITIES OF THE BLUBBER,
especially during the severe cold of winter The
meat and biubber are eaten both cooked and
raw. The tough hide cut into strips about
foot long are used as dog food and is the best
material in the Arctic regions for that purpose,
half dozen to a dozen of these tid-bits given
to dog every other day being sufficient to keep
him in fine condition right along whatever
kind of work he may be doing. Sometimes the
natives cook it for a day or Two in their SIM
mering kettles and it becomes friable, but 9th
erwise it Is as tough as sole leather, and to eat
1t 1t must be cut in small bits that can be swal-
lowed at once, as chewing it would have no
more effect than it would on a trade dollar. In
fact, the Russians used to take walrus hide and.
cutting 1t into little bits, coined it into money,
and found 1T as serviceable as metal. AS the
writer lived on little pieces of warus hide Tor
nearly Il week, his observations were very prac-
teal, and, combined with those of the man in
the west who recently swallowed the trade dol
lar, considerable Information might be OBJ
tanned by the congressional committee on
minis and coinage as to a future currency.
Combined with the sharp bristly hairs walrus
hide is about as paiatable rs wire hair-brush.
FREDK SCHWATKA.