16 AMERICAX MrSEUM cl'lDE LEAELETS 



surface of tlu' water at the left of the l)oat. To the rij^lit in the middle 

 distance are fiilinar ^'ulls. In the distance is the (;reat ice river, the 

 A Crhocff glacier. 



The narwiial is an animal al)out which little i.s definitely known. 

 Some, notahly Pearv, think that it is the fahled unicorn of the ancients. 

 It occasionaHy has Itoth a JonLT and a >lii>ri hmu. one of which it may 

 lose, however. The narwhal is hlue-hlack alonj^ the back and sj)otted 

 with <lark alon;; the sides, the color fading inti> ivory white underneath. 

 The thin >kin covcis a \cry deep layer of fat or hJiiKhcr, con.sidered a 

 delicacy hy the Innnit. This hluUher is eaten raw, as in fact is most 

 of the food in the Arctics, and of coiu'se without j)e])])er or salt, neither 

 of which is known to the Eskimo. 



In narwhal hunting, the Imiuit ai)]iroaclic> tlif animal from the rear 

 and one side, decreasing the distance noiselessly until he is within strik- 

 ing distance. \ comj)anion always accomj)anies the hunter, so that, in 

 the event of his i)cing struck hy the narwhal, and his hoat overtiUMied, 

 there may be .some rescue at hand. riie harj)oons used in narwhal 

 hunting formerly had heads made of Hakes from the iron meteorites 

 near ('ape ^'ork, but since the first quarter of the nineteenth century 

 the Eskimo have obtained tlicii- metal tVoni trader-^ and from whaling 

 and (jther ships. The har|)ooii head is joined lo a j)iec-e of walrus or 

 narwhal ivor-y. which fits loo>eiy on to the i\oiy end of the >liafl. To 

 the center of tliiv harpoon head, is fastened a line of wali'us hide kejil 

 in place by the hand that liohU the harpoon. The line it>elf i^ coiled 

 on the fore part of the kayak, so that it will unwind rapidly and with- 

 out becoming tangled, .\ttaclied (o the other eml of this line and 

 placed in the after |tail of the ka\ak are two objects, a sealskin bag 

 and a drag resembling a bo\ lid. When the animal div<'s and llees 

 vainly from the pain of the har|)oon point imbedded in its ilcsh. the 

 drag tires ii out, and the skin bag, floating on ilic sini'ace of (he walei'. 

 murks its position and keeps it fi-om sinking. The hmner, w ho adinilly 

 gets out of the way of die infuriated animal, can ihiis trace its cnurse 

 and finally tow i( home. 



'1 he \ erhoelf glacii-|- re|irescntcd in the jLiintiiig is one of two i^l.iciers 

 al the head of Ivobertsoii Hay, on the iKMilicrn sIkhc of Ingleiicld (inlf. 

 West (ire«*nland. it was here that \ erhoelf . the meleorologisi of one of 

 the PrapA- E.Npediiious, while trying to cinss the glacier alone, lost his 

 life in ."September of |s",ti.». The sc.i wall of the ixlacici- is from l.'iO to 



Rl) 14.8';;; 



