158 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA. 



horse is hunted without the assistance of the kyack. 

 The new ice being thin, the walruses break up through 

 it at any place, and sport about in the water-holes which 

 they make. Then the hunters for several of them 

 usually go together march out upon the ice and attack 

 them from the edge of the water-holes. This method of 

 hunting is, however, rather dangerous, as the animals 

 have an ugly habit of noting the position of their assail- 

 ants, then disappearing below the water, and in a moment 

 presenting themselves below the ice at the spot where 

 the men stand. 



The Eskimos, who are familiar with this manoeuvre, 

 always change their position the moment one of the 

 crafty brutes goes down, and stand, harpoons in hand, 

 ready to receive him when he returns crashing through 

 the ice with deadly designs upon his craftier adver- 

 saries. 



It is an easier matter to harpoon a walrus thus in the 

 ice than it is to secure him, for here the " oweta " or 

 float cannot be used to advantage, and it is no easy 

 matter to hold a three thousand pounder of the sea. 

 However, this is attempted, and when one or more 

 harpoons are made fast to the walrus the ends of the 

 lines are spiked down to the ice by stout spikes, and in 

 this way the brute is very powerfully anchored ; but, as 

 I have before stated, in spite of all that can be done, he 

 often breaks away and takes the lines with him into the 

 deep. 



Polar bear hunting is an extremely dangerous and 

 exciting sport. An Eskimo rarely ever cares to tackle a 

 bear single-handed, but two men, armed with lances, do 

 not hesitate to attack this monarch of the north. 



