156 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA. 



but more commonly they are in small herds. When 

 feeding they remain in about the same place, but can 

 stay under water for only about three minutes at a time. 

 They come to the surface to breathe, sport about for a 

 short time, then go down to the bottom and dig clams 

 from the sand for some three minutes, and then rise 

 again to the surface. The Eskimo, taking advantage 

 of their necessity, advances on them only when they 

 are busily occupied at the bottom of the sea. When a 

 walrus reappears at the surface, the hunter, who, with 

 harpoon in hand and line attached to float, awaits its 

 return, hurls his harpoon with great force and precision, 

 burying it deeply in the walrus's flesh. 



The wounded monster, maddened by pain, plunges 

 into the water, dives to the bottom, and endeavors to 

 escape. The plunging readily causes the ball-and-socket 

 joint of the harpoon to give, and this allows the head of 

 the harpoon, which is buried in the animal, to become 

 detached and form a button on the end of the harpoon 

 line. 



The detached handle floats upon the water, but the 

 line is securely fastened to the body of the walrus, which, 

 in trying to escape, takes with him the line and attached 

 inflated seal-skin ; but though he may take this buoy 

 under, and keep it down for a short time, he cannot do 

 so long. 



Soon it reappears at the surface, and the hunter seeing 

 it, makes for the spot, and awaits the returning walrus. 

 The moment his head appears, harpoon or lance are 

 hurled at it as before, and unless with fatal results, the 

 same manoeuvres are repeated. In this way often two 

 or three harpoon lines and floats are attached to one 



