THE WALRUS 129 



animals were found sleeping together on a 

 beach, by no means an infrequent occurrence 

 towards the end of the summer, men were 

 cautiously landed, and, taking a position between 

 the walruses and the sea, they lanced the animals 

 nearest the water. Those farther inland then 

 sought to escape, but were impeded by the 

 bodies of those already killed, and, being un- 

 able to reach the sea, proved very easy prey. 

 Thousands and thousands of walruses have 

 been destroyed in this way. The method 

 savours rather of crude slaughter, unworthy 

 of the true sportsman, than of real sport. 



Hunting, in the true sense of the word, is 

 obtained when walruses are encountered on the 

 ice or swimming. The animal formerly was 

 first harpooned, then finished with a lance. As 

 a matter of fact, harpoons are still used ; but 

 more often than not nowadays the weapon is 

 fired from a gun, and the harpooned animal 

 afterwards finished with a rifle shot. 



It is almost an impossibility to kill a walrus 

 with a single shot ; a walrus shot in the water, 

 without first having been harpooned, is lost 

 because it sinks instantly. Hence it becomes 

 necessary, when a walrus is found on ice or in the 

 water, to harpoon it before firing. Fortunately 

 for the hunter the animal sleeps heavily, often 



