The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-10

Hunting the Arctic
Sea Horse Is Thrill.
ing Work That
Not Infrequentlv
Leads to Disaster

rowboat ana they approach IN. L.,
cake where the herd is located
This must be done very caref,r,r,
and when an old tusker or Leader =,
the herd raises his head on pot,c,.s
the unusual sound made by the a.
vancing boat, the men rest their o.r.
and remain perfectly quiet-floatinv ~
until the bulls head droops again -
drowsiness. On arriving within sboo,
ing distance, and after a shot 4, a.
the hunters must again remain MAJ
fectly quiet and immobile until N.
startled animals settle once more int
repose. II alarmed. they will instan,,s
take to the water, where It is more an.
ficult and dangerous to kill and N Va
cover them.
They Have Thick Heads.
IAN experienced hunter will M,
shoot them In their bodies. as n onI,,
wounds and does not kill them. and
many times bullets will not even pens,
trate their thick skins. This Is aIso
true OF the tops of their skulls. which
are very thick and resistant. ths
missiles generally glancing harmlesslv
of from these bony defences. Tbs
marksman usually fires at the base n
the skull, at the back OF the head
where the skull Joins the neck.
bullet reaching this part is well nieh
always Immediately fatal. In addition
to this being the most effective way
to secure these creatures It also save,
their skins from injury. Perforations
made by rife balls or spears impair the
value of the hides for leather.
THE men who hunt walruses are all
skilled in the work. and by careful
maneuvring they generally secure
most OF a herd when found on a
cake of ice. While the hunters era
out after their quarry the lookou,
aloft on the ship must keep them con.
tinually in sight, as they sometimes
float for miles with the current and
might otherwise be lost. Hunting
walrus in the water is apt to be
most exciting experience. Thu marks
man standing In the bow OF the boat.
which is brought as close as possible
to the animal, holds his rifle in hand
anu hoS q hoi pun "iAiiill easy TedCn
| alongside of him. A rope is attached
to this harpoon, and on the other end
of the line there Is tied a cask. I'm.
mediately after firing he drops hh
gun. seizes his harpoon and drive,
this weapon as deep into the walru,
as possible. Otherwise the animal will
sink and be lost
IF the harpoon misses the creature
and he is only wounded, there is us.
ually a thrilling and pretty danger.
Gus time for all hands in the boat
While the walrus is generally inof.
fensive when undisturbed, 1t becomes
aggressive and furious when wounded
1t will not retreat, but fearlessly and
-determinedly will attack the craft con.
tanning its enemy. Many many time,
have these enraged denizens OF the
Arctic deep crushed the hunters boats
with blows from their tusks and sent
those light vessels to the bottom"
Once landed on the Ice or hauled
aboard OF the whaler, as the case may
be, the carcass Is skinned. the bubber
stripped, and the tusks removed The
biggest Of the animals will yield near.
~ a quarter OF ton of fat. The skin,
are simply salted down and packed
away in the hold OF the ship, where
they are kept until the vessel returni
to port months afterward