The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-14
HUNTING THE WAlRUS.
When in 2 Large Herd Hundreds Can BE
Killed in Few Moments

When in 2 Large Herd Hundreds Can BE
Killed in y Few Moments.
The rapid decrease in numbers Of
the walrus, which at one time fur
nished food for the coast natives OF
Alaska, has been one of the evils which
have resulted from the advent of white
people into that country. Fifty years
ago the animals travelled in herds of
thousands, and the air was filed with
their beliowings as they gamboled
around the ships
When the whales became scarce, the
whalers began to slaughter the walrus.
and the result has been the practical
determination of the species. Yet few
animals could be less easily spared,
and the whale is far less valuable.
The walrus is one of the largest ami
twenty feet and q weight of nearly
ton. Il has small head, with re-.
markably thick upper lip. covered with
long, stiff bristles: the neck is thick
and extremely short: the red-brown
skin hangs loosely on the ponderons
broad, fn-like paddles, resembling
large flaps of leather.
It's movements on land are very slow
a nd awkward. but in the water il has
all the activity of seals, and even sur
passes them in speed.
II cannot ra IN n in ,,p5 or W /. ~ for n nv
length of time. being compelled TO come
to the surface for air. At such times
cloud Of dense vapor is emitted from
the nostrils and forms an easy means
by which hunters may follow pur-
sued animal.
In the first few years OF the walrus
industry the native method of captur-
ing the animals, by use of the harpoon
and lance. was adopted by the whale
men: but since 1870 the use of the rifle
has almost entirely superseded that of
the primitive and less dest ructive wea-
pons.
At the present time the most common
method of capturing is as follows:
A herd of walrus having been discov-
cred on the ice, the ship is worked M
TO within two or three miles of their
position. always keeping 10 leeward-
Then small boat is lowered and. with
two or three,of the best shots on board, is
-owed verv.quietly to within adistancs
of thirty or forty yards. when the wal
rus nearest the water is shot in the
head. tust behind the eye. II would be
perfectly useless to fire into the BODY
Of the animal. as the thick layer OF
blubber which envelopes them renders
them invulnerabie TO bullet wounds
But IL the hunter succeeds in killing
the first animal outright. the boat is
brought alongside the ice-cske. the
hunters disembark. and begin 70 fire
into the herd "a rapidly as possible. =
walrus go By scent rather than by
sound. and seem 70 take no notice |
wha tever of the report Of the rifles. ~
that hundreds Of walrus can be killed /
in the space of few moments II the /
hunters simply keep 20 leewsrd Of the
stupid creatures
The tusIss Of the male are larger and /
much coarser in texture than those Of
the female. the proportion OF pith &c
sound exterior ivory being much great /
er in large than in a small tuak.
For many purposes wairus ivor- IL
better than elephant ivorv. especially /
in the manufacture of small articles
such a. knife handles. brushes. whistles /
and dice: but the tnslcs are USUALLY toe
small to be made into billiard balls. ~,
which purposes elephant ivory Is almost
exclusively used
Like the seals. the wslrus er1icratc
south ward during the winter months.
and in the ras, large numbers Of them
winsersd along the southern edge OF
he ice pack in the B<-iag Sea or on
the uninhsbited islands north OF the
aieusian group.
The beaches ~ Ar1ook island. fuss
,owth OF the Alaskan peninsula. and
s.. Matthews and Halls islands. living
'z-tSer north. e-e st-ewn with hun
lreds Of skeletons % tho waI-us which
snce made these desoiate places their
annual resort b7t sven here the ivory