CHAPTER IX 



A WALRUS HUNT 



THE walrus are among the most picturesque 

 and powerful fauna of the far North. More 

 than that, their pursuit and capture, a pro- 

 cess by no means devoid of peril, is an important part 

 of every serious arctic expedition, for on every expedi- 

 tion of mine these huge creatures, weighing as they do 

 all the way from 1,200 to 3,000 pounds, are hunted 

 for the purpose of obtaining the maximum of meat 

 for dog food in a minimum of time. 



Wolstenholm and Whale Sounds, which are passed 

 before reaching Etah, are favorite haunts of the wal- 

 rus. The hunting of these monsters is the most 

 exciting and dangerous sport in the arctic regions. 

 The polar bear has been called the tiger of the North; 

 but a contest between one or two, or even three, of 

 these animals and a man armed with a Winchester 

 repeating rifle is an entirely one-sided affair. On 

 the contrary, a contest with a herd of walrus, — the 

 lions of the North, — in a small whale-boat, will give 

 more thrills to the minute than anything else I know 

 of within the Arctic Circle. 



On the last expedition I did not go after walrus 

 myself, leaving that exhilarating labor to the younger 

 men. I have seen so much of it in the past that my 

 first vivid impression is somewhat blunted. I have 



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