THE ICE-ANCHOR. 49 



of these implements, which are also indispensable 

 as boat-hooks for pushing and hooking when the 

 ice is too thick to allow of the oars being used. 



There are then two axes, one a large one, used 

 for decapitating the dead walruses, and the other, 

 a small handy axe, which always lies close to the 

 harpooner, is for cutting the line in case any thing 

 goes wrong, or a walrus proves so fierce and mis- 

 chievous that they may wish to be quit of him on 

 any terms. 



Five or six large sharp knives are for stripping 

 the skin and blubber off the animals, or "flensing' 1 

 them, as it is called in the fisher's parlance. 



An ice-anchor is employed for anchoring the 

 boat to an iceberg, and also to afford & fulcrum by 

 which, with the help of two double-purchase blocks 

 and twenty-four fathoms of rope (also forming part 

 of every boat's appointments), five or even four men 

 can drag the biggest walrus on to a moderately flat 

 iceberg for the purpose of flensing him. 



A small compass is indispensable, and ought to 

 be fitted into a box attached below the seat in front 

 of the steersman, after the fashion of a billiard-table 

 chalk-box. 



A telescope, a rifle, and plenty of ammunition, 

 an iron bailing-ladle, also answering as a frying- 

 pan, and a small copper kettle for making coffee. 



There is a locker in the fore-peak, and another in 

 the after-peak of the boat, and in these there ought 

 to be always stowed a hammer, a pair of nail nip- 



D 



