884 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 



HUNTING AND FISHING. 



The characters in plate 69, fig. 3, at Nos. 1, 2, and 3, denote whales, 

 while at Nos. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are indicated four American whaling ships. 

 The one at No. 7 is placed in a foreshortened position, something sel 

 dom expected to be so reproduced by primitive peoples. 



No. 8 appears to be an ice pan, at the base of which two men seem to 

 be in the water with hands uplifted to attract attention 5 while No. 9 is 

 a seal fisher hastening forward. The harpoon is seen resting upon the 

 rack upon the fore part of the canoe, as is also perceptible in No. 10. 

 The large bodies behind the occupants of fhe boat are floats used to 

 retard the swimming and escape of harpooned seals. 



The manner of hunting sea otter is as follows : In Alaska the Aleuts or other 

 natives are the otter hunters. A large number of bidarkas take provisions for a 

 day or two, and when the weather is calm, put out, often out of sight of land. When 

 arrived on the banks most frequented by these animals, the bidarkas form a long 

 line, the leader in the middle. They paddle softly over the water so as to make no 

 disturbance. If any Aleut sees an otter s nose, which is usually the only part above 

 the surface, he throws his dart and at the same time elevates his paddle perpendicu 

 larly in the air. The ends of the line dart forward, so as to encircle the animal in a 

 cordon of bidarkas, and everyone is on the watch for the second appearance of the 

 otter. The same process is repeated until the animal, worn out with diviug, lies 

 exhausted on the surface, an easy prize for his captors. The skin belongs to the 

 hunter who first struck it, or to him who struck nearest the head. 1 



Plate 69, fig. 2. Capture of polar bear [?]. The signification of the 

 illustration is that a bear was observed eating a seal, when the natives 

 of the village at No. 9 went forward in the canoes, Nos. 5 and 6, when 

 one of the bravest made the attack with a spear. The seal is indicated 

 at No. 1. 



The figure at No. 4 is not explained; while at No. 8 a canoe is still 

 resting upon the scaffold drying. 



In plate 69, fig. 1, is a record of a whale and seal hunt. No. 1 is a 

 seal which has been captured by the two hunters, Nos. 2 and 3, and is 

 being dragged to shore for return home. The hunter is carrying his 

 seal lance before him like a staff, while No. 3 is carrying his at a charge. 

 Nos. 4, 5, and 6 are baidarkas with the oarsmen within, the foremost 

 individual in No. 6 having harpooned a whale, which is heading away, 

 spouting. The object between the boats, Nos. 5 and 6, is a seal diving- 

 out of harm s way. The hunter at No. 8 has caught a seal, No. 10, and 

 on the line is a small disk which denotes the float used. In some picto- 

 graphs the disk represents the opening in the ice, through which the 

 line is dropped, although this may be in the air and resemble a float. 



No. 11 is indefinite, while Nos. 12 and 13 denote the summer or tem 

 porary habitations, erected for a short sojourn only, until the meat 

 has been secured which is being placed upon the rack, No. 14, by the 

 person shown at the left end, in that employment. 



1 Ball, Alaska and its Resources, pp. 490, 491. 



