Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1890-11-27
WHALING ON ICE.
HOW EsKIMos CAPTURE ARs-
TIC SEA MONSTERS.

An Interesting Account of Floe
Hunting in the Ice-Bound North
west--A Native Outfit.
The Bskimos mainly depend on catch
Mg whales for a livelihood, in which
basiness they become very expert.
especially since improved craft has been
nsroduded among them; generally they
r. very successful, having taken during
she last season, say, twenty-five off Cape
smythe, elc On at Point Barrow, same
aumber at Point Hope; in all, forty -fonr
Whales between these three-named vii
lagos. Besides these several were taken
by the whites here and at Point Hone.
ana others were captured by the natives
81 ths numerous villages scattered along
The coast.
About the middle of the month Of
april, though much depends on the con
dition OF the winds and currents, lead
usually opens on the ice from five to ten
miles out from shore, and allows the
whales to come along. Soon as the lead
opens whales can be seen, sometimes
pushing their way through quite heavy
dI1ft Ice on their migratory journey
northward. In general they move along
quite rapidly, seldom showing thsm-
solves moro than one rising.
by the time the lead opens the natives
Are supposed to have everything ready
Tor . start after whales. Canoes over
hauled, fresh skins of walrus, or seal,
have been prepared and put on the canoes
where needed, seal pokes have been made.
guns, lAnces, bombs, lines and harpooas
looked after--all prepared and ready for
me great work of the season.
The ordinary outfit for canoe il one
darting gun, carrying harpoon and
bomb; one shoulder gun, for bomb. car
tldges and other ammunition; three or
four rifles and fowling piece; furnace,
with few splints of wood to start the fire;
FOOD, blubber, clothing, ETC., etc. snow
sled, and crew of eight or ten, men
and women, boys and girls. Thus fully
equipped, the canoe starts out to remain
on the foe five or six weeks, or during
the entire whaling season. They take
out but little food, depending on seals,
ducks, bear or walrus, when they cannot
got whale. Their food is eaten raw. and
Of any quality or condition it may be in.
They sleep without shelter on the ice or
IN the canoe-wherever or whenever
slecp overtakcs them. The furnace is
moro for melting snow for drink than
tor cooking; though they have no objec-
zion to cooked food, yet they eat it raw
from sheer laziness With a few splints
OF wood fire can be started, and when
fed with blubber it is surprising how
rapidly snow enough can be melted to
satisfy the thirst of forty or fifty people.
Once out on the ice they wander about,
shooting whatever may come along, but
always keeping a'sharp lookout for the
larger and more valuable game, the
whale.
The canoes are at all times kept in
readiness, other on the ice or in the
water, 10 shove off at moments notice.
should whale como along near the foe
he y approached from the ice, and, if
within striking distance, struck and
bombed both at the same time, perhaps
instantly killed, as frequently happens,
without using the canoe. Attached to
the line, some three or four fathoms from
tie harpoon, are two seal pokes, and at
the end another. The two tlrst pokes
seem to worry and perplex the whale, if
he is not at once killed, so the canoe can
come up and dispatch him. The poke
on the end of the line, shows the direc-
tion the whale takes while under water,
rs 1t remains on the top and points out
tbs locality in case of his sinking. Whales
often find breathing holes in the ice, and
are frequently approached, struck and
killed and cut up without the aid of
canoe. Darling guns, tonite bombs and
brcech-loaders are all the rage now among
the Eskimos, yet, in accordance with an
old superstitious custom among them,
the first whale of the season must be
struck with native slate-pointed har-
Poon. After the first, then the Yankee
harpoons, guns and bombs will do.
But more and more, year by year, the
natives are using improved implements.
Naturally good hunters and whalemen,
they readily perceive the advantages Of
our superior craft, in the use of which
they have become very expert Tho first
report of whales seen here this season was
On the 22d of last month, in an open
lead, two miles wide and ten miles off
shore. At once everybody was excited
and on the move; a track commenced
out over the rough ice, which was filed
up in ridges, parallel with the shore,
thirty or fortJ feet high, for miles and
miles seaward. To get their canoes out
with their outfit over the ice, so filed
with ridges, appeared terribly formid-
able undertaking, but many hands made
light work, and all went at it with will
Every pick, axe and shovel that could
b found was brought into use and kept
n constant motion until the open water
was reached by the first canoe on the
e7th, and this was only accomplished by
the most persevering energy and indus
TRY in constant hard labor. After the
0rst canoe cut her way out the rest
followed with comparatively lighter
work. 80, one after another, nineteen in
Ill with their crews, numbering 1870
persons, were out on the foe ice,
and now appeared another diff
6culty to overcome. A wall of
rough ice. very much resembling boul-
ders OF all sizes and forms, from tons in
weight to bullets, round, square and
oval, as If worn away in battling for ages
with winds and waves, piled up twenty
Gaat or mara avian n a1 for NJ lac q n a lopr