112 THE LENA DELTA 



make considerable resistance ; the males with their 

 horns, teeth, and hind legs, whilst the females try to 

 overset the boat by getting their fore-feet over the 

 gunwale ; if they succeed in this the hunter is lost, for 

 it is hardly possible that he should extricate himself 

 from the throng ; but the skill of these people is so 

 great that accidents very rarely occur. A good hunter 

 may kill a hundred or more in less than half an hour. 

 When the herd is large, and gets into disorder, it often 

 happens that their antlers become entangled with each 

 other ; they are then unable to defend themselves, and 

 the business is much easier. Meanwhile the rest of the 

 boats pick up the slain and fasten them together with 

 thongs, and every one is allowed to keep what he lays 

 hold of in this manner. It might seem that in this 

 way nothing would be left to requite the spearmen for 

 their skill, and the danger they have encountered ; but 

 whilst everything taken in the river is the property of 

 whoever secures it, the wounded animals which reach 

 the bank before they fall, belong to the spearman who 

 wounded them. The skill and experience of these men 

 are such that in the thickest of the conflict, when 

 every energy is taxed to the uttermost, and their life is 

 every moment at stake, they have sufficient presence of 

 mind to contrive to measure the force of their blows so 

 as to kill the smallest animals outright, but only to 

 wound the larger and finer ones, so that they may be 

 just able to reach the bank. Such proceeding is not 

 sanctioned by the general voice, but it seems neverthe- 

 less to be almost always practised. The whole scene is 

 of a most singular and curious character, and quite 

 indescribable. The throng of thousands of swimming 



