ARCTIC HUNTING 9 



sible waters has caused the professional walrus hunter to 

 abandon his calling. The most likely localities for walrus 

 around Spitzbergen at present are the coast of North East 

 Land, Cape Leigh Smith (Storo), Rekis-oerne, Hopenoerne 

 on the east coast, and the Hinlopen Straits. 



Although the staple food of the walrus consists of mollusca, 

 it also preys, to some extent, upon the seal. I remember that, 

 on opening the stomach of the first walrus I shot, we found it 

 full of long strips of the skin of a seal, apparently Phoca his- 

 pida, with the blubber still attached. 1 As the death of this 

 walrus was fairly typical of the manner in which they are now 

 captured, I will try to describe it ; but it would be better perhaps 

 to first sketch the boats and implements which are used in 

 walrus hunting. 



The boats, called 'fangstbaade,' are strongly, yet lightly, 

 built of three-quarter-inch Norwegian ' furru.' They are carvel 

 built and bow shaped at both ends ; the stem and stern posts 

 are made thick and strong in order to resist the blows of the 

 ice, and the bow sheathed with zinc plates to prevent excessive 

 chafing. They are most commonly 20 ft. or 21 ft. in length, 

 and have their greatest beam, viz. 5 ft., one-third of their 

 length from the bow. It is most important that they should 

 be easy and quick in turning, and this quality is obtained by 

 depressing the keel in the middle. They are painted red 

 inside and white outside, so that they may not be conspicuous 

 amongst ice, but the hunters stultify this idea to some extent 

 by dressing themselves in dark colours. Inside the bow there 

 are small racks guarded by painted canvas flaps, in which the 

 harpoon-heads are fitted, usually three on either side of the 

 boat. The harpoon, the point and edges of which are ground 

 and whetted to a razor-like sharpness, is a simple but very 



1 The harpooner on this occasion, whose word I have never doubted, told 

 me that once when he was hunting in King's Bay, on the west coast of Spitz- 

 bergen, he saw a walrus take a ' Hav-hest,' i.e. fulmar petrel, which was 

 sitting on the water, and was actually engaged in eating it when struck by 

 the harpoon. 



