FISHERIES AND SBAL-HUNTING. 53 



rosmarus;) and the li belouga," (Delphinapterus leucas, Pull.;) i. e., hve 

 kinds of seals, the walrus, and the white orca. 



The walrus is caught on the coasts of Novaya-Zeinlya and the islands 

 of Vaigatch and Kalgouyew ; the "tevyak " on the Mourinau coast, very 

 rarely in the White Sea ; the orca is caught in the White Sea by ineaus 

 of nets; the small seals and the " zayats " are shot with guns from the 

 coast, or are killed with boat-hooks when they assemble in flocks on the 

 ice with the " lysounes." 



b. Seal hunting. — On the eastern coast of the White Sea, the " Winter 

 Coast," as it is called, and in the bays of the Dwiua aud the Mezeue, and 

 on the coast of Kauine, they chiefly hunt the species of phoca called 

 Phoca groenlandica. This phoca is larger than the kiud found in the 

 Caspian Sea, and usually yields six "pouds" (210 pounds) of fat. It is 

 killed on the ice. 



These animals live in the high regions of the Polar Seas from May 

 till September, and only a few occassionally show themselves in the 

 White Sea; but, later, they make their appearance in the gulfs and 

 bays of the Arctic Ocean, where the females give birth to their young, 

 and feed them. These animals pair in the beginning of February, on the 

 ice in the White Sea, aud especially in the Gulf of the Dwina. 



At this time the hunting commences on the "Winter Coast" and lasts 

 till the end of March. 



The huntsmen care fully observe from the eoast the movment of the float- 

 ing ice. High wooden towers are erected for this purpose all along the shore, 

 whence the observers watch the horizon with telescopes and when the have 

 discovered an encampment of phocse, they decide whether it is possible 

 to get to them, and whether it is worth while to give them chase. Small 

 hunting-sheds are also built along the coast, each of which can accom- 

 date as many as twenty huntsmen. As soon as the phocce show them- 

 selves at a short distance from the shore, the huntsmen venture on the 

 floating ice, drawing a small boat after them, and they kill the young phocae 

 by blow with their boat-hooks, and the old ones by gunshots. In order to 

 approach the phocae as near as possible, the hunters make use of the follow- 

 ing ruse : They make themselves, as it were, invisible by muffling up 

 in long and large and white shirts, aud by advancing slowly aud noise- 

 lessly on the snow. When the chase is over, the dead animals are at 

 once skinned aud dragged on shore. They usually kill only those which 

 they can take with them for the wind easily drives the ice far away, 

 and the booty would be lost to the huntsmen, who themselves are often 

 exposed to the greatest dangers. 



This chase takes place on the "Winter Coast," extendiug over a space 

 of four hundred " versts," (two hundred and thirty miles ;) and numerous 

 huntsmen meet there from the districts of Archaugel, Pinega, and Me- 

 zene. The principal place of meeting, and at which generally two thou- 

 sand huntsmen assemble, is called Kedy, and is located twelve " versts " 

 (about seven miles) from Cape Voronov. The huntsmen have built at 



