Year: 1869




INTERVIEW WITH CAPT. C, r..


HALL, THE ARCTIC EXPLORER,


How do the natives divide time T?
Capt. HalI.-That depends entirely
on what they are doing If at the
chase they will make the day forty
eight hours long, and then sleep as
long as they can. If they are indulg-
ing in sports, which generally consists
of dance, to the most shocking and
uncouth music, their day will last un-
til they get tired. When idle they sleep
more than half the time. They eat,
they grunt and then sleep. The wo-
men sleep less than the men, except
when the latter are engaged in the
chase.


What game do they prefer :?


Capt. HaIl-Reindeer, except when
they take whale. This is a God-send,
and 1nsures them plenty of provisions.
The skin of the whale is removed
with an inch of blubber or fat to it,
and it is most delicious dish, one of
the best have ever tasted superior
to pigs feet, and tastes something like
that dish. 1t is sometimes eaten raw,
but usually iC is boiled. We do not
need much oil when we have plenty of
whale skin. The Musk OK is also ex-
cellent, and has the flavor of beef. It's





smell of musk on the meat, and it is
sweet and juicy. The Walrus is also
good, but not so palatable as either of
the others. He furnishes a large quan-
tity of blubber, and is hunted more
particularly for that than for his
meat. It is dangerous sport fighting
him, and 1t very frequently costs sew
eral lives to capture one. They ap-
proach him in boats, and unless he is
killed with the first onset, he will
/ make splinters of the boat, and often
of its inmates. When enraged he is
not only savage, but intelligent. A
dash is made for the boat. and unless
the Esquimaux are very expert, he is
gone. The boat is crushed in the ami
mails powerful jaws, and the fate of
the boatman sealed. The hunting of
the walrus keeps the population down,
so many of them are lost in these ad-
ventures. The Polar Bear is game
anxi0usly sought after. An Esuui-
mau never fails to attack this animal.
In this contest his dogs are great as
sistants. Their instinct is wonderful
and they fight with cOnsummate skill,
always attacking the bear in the rear.
Occasionally Bruin is too quick for
them and dog is caught. A single
motion of the jaws and his dogshiD is
gone up. The bear will run until
overtaken by the dogs, but once
brought to bay, the line of retreat is
never taken up. The fight is ended in
death. When the Esquimaux comes
up, the bear Immediately turns his at
tention to him, and with distended
| jaws, rushes for the enemy. The dogs
| follow close at his heels, and when
the bear is within few feet of their
master, they seize him by the hind
| legs or hip, which causes the animal to
turn quickly around, and as he does
so, the Esquimau hurls his spear,
striking the bear abafG the fore leg, and
penetrating the heart. tireat skill is
exhibited in the use of this weapon,
and the native prefers il to Il gun. If
the dogs do not succeed in turning
Bruins attention nt the proper mo-
ment, or if there are no dogs present,
which is frequently the case the ma
tive waits until the bear raises to
make his last spring, and then jumps
to the right, and hurls his spear. It
is seldom they fail in their mark. The
Seal is hunted for the blubber princi-
pally. The Esquimau learns his
mode of attack on this animal from
the polar bear. Much caution is nee
essary. When the bear sees seal, he
lies down on the ice, and commences
TO make a noise, exactly similar to that
over his hole in the ice the bear push
es himself forward, little by little, still
continuing the noise, until he is with
in the proper distance, which he meas
ures with much accuracy then in an
instant, he is on his feet, and the
spring is made. The Esquimau plays
the same game, crawling on the ice
and mimicking the seal, until he gets
near enough to make dead shot with
his spear.


You said in your lecture something