192 Scientific Intelligence. — Zoology. 



lierd approaches the river, the deer draw more closely together, 

 and the largest and strongest takes the lead. He advances, closely 

 followed by a few of the others, with head erect, and apparently 

 intent on examining the locality. When he has satisfied himself, 

 he enters the river, the rest of the herd crowd after him, and in a 

 few minutes the surface is covered with them. Then the hunters^, 

 who had been concealed to leeward, rush in their light canoes from 

 their hiding places, surround the deer, and delay their passage, 

 whilst two or three chosen men, armed with short spears, dash into 

 the middle of the herd, and dispatch large numbers in an incredibly 

 short time, or at least wound them so that^ if they reach the bank, 

 it is only to fall into the hands of the women and children. 



The office of the spearman is a very dangerous one. It is no 

 easy thing to keep the light boat afloat among the dense crowd of 

 the swimming deer, which, moreover, 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 gunnel ; 

 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 one 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 un» 

 able to defend themselves, and the business is much easier. Mean- 

 while the rest of the boats pick up the slain, arid fasten them toge- 

 ther 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 every thing taken in the rear is 

 the property of whoever secures it, the wounded animals which 

 reach the bank before they fall belong to the spearman who wound- 

 ed them. The skill and experience of these men is such, that, in 

 the thickest of the conflict, when every energy is taxed to the ut- 

 termost, and their life is every moment at stake, they have suffi- 

 cient 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 as they may be just able to reach the 

 bank. Such proceeding is not sanctioned by the general voice, but 

 it seems nevertheless 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 rein- 

 deer, the sound produced by the striking together of their antlers, 

 twift canoes dashing in amongst them^ the terror of the frightened 



