THE OCEAN MAMMALS 365 



housing, boats, weapons, nets (from plaited bowel) ; every- 

 thing necessary can be got from a good walrus. However, 

 the skin of the ring seal or the bay seal is the Eskimo's 

 usual clothing. Only the blown and dried gut, which is 

 sewn with sinew and makes an excellent oilskin jumper, 

 and is mostly used in kayaking, is obtained from the walrus. 



The meat is black, and to us offensive. We were walking 

 along the beach one day, and, while crossing a pebbly ridge, 

 felt it move up and down as if it were on soft rubber. We 

 moved a few top layers of stones, and found an immense 

 cache of raw walrus meat left against next winter. An- 

 other cache we saw barred into the end of a sea-worn cave. 

 This was, however, so odoriferous, we could only suppose 

 it was in reserve for the dogs. A sick Eskimo boy that we 

 had for twelve months as a patient would at first eat no 

 "kablenak" food. We had to keep a supply of dried 

 walrus meat that looked like tarred leather. This he would 

 tear in strips with his teeth and eat raw, somewhat as men 

 chew plug tobacco. The tusks are the greatest prize, how- 

 ever, for on these the Eskimo depend for their harpoon tops, 

 the bone being heavy and curved exactly as they like it. 

 We brought out one year a few iron harpoon tops for some 

 northern friends. But I found they did not use them, 

 greatly preferring the native tusk tops. These are most 

 skilfully made ; they are purposely divided into three pieces 

 so that when the harpooned walrus puts a heavy strain on 

 the line, the pieces come apart, leaving the barbed head 

 inside the animal. Thus the weapon itself does not 

 break. 



The harp seal (Phoca Grcenlandica) is far the most abun- 

 dant seal on the Labrador. In the late autumn he comes 



