1-..IAS.1 HUNTING SEALS AND WALKUS. 41)7 



I will now i^ivo a dcsci-iption ..f tlic nictli<Mls ..f Imiifii.,- scuis and 

 ■walrus during tln' suiiiiiicr. As Imii; as ii-r i-akis arc (IritI iuL;- in tliu 

 bays the natives .1.1 ii..t us,. IImmi- seal tl..ats. which w.mid hcscvrml 

 from the liiii' ami easily torn to pieces. Tliey jjaddle to a small 

 cake, on whi.-li tliey lift their kayaks, and cautiously move the cake 

 fowanls another one on which a seal or walrus is asleep. After 

 they have come within range of their game they shoot it. As an 

 abundance of all kinds of seals and walrus are basking on the ice 

 plenty of food can be obtained. 



An ingenious way of walrusing during this season is described by 

 Lyon (p. 330) : 



When the hunters, m then- canoes, perceive a large herd sleeping on the floating 

 ice, as is their custom, they paddle to some other piece near them, which is small 

 enough to be moved. On this they lift their canoes, and then bore several holes, 

 through wliich they fasten their tougli lines, and when everything is ready, they 

 silently paddle the hummock towards their prey, each man sitting by his dwii line 

 and spear. In this manner they reach the ice on vvliich the w.iliu^.s iin^ 1\ lug 

 snoring; and if they please, each man maystrike an animal, th.Hi,L;li. m ^,.iMi;il. iwo 

 persons attack the same beast. The wounded and startled walrus r.>ll> iii>t;iiitly ti> 

 tlie water, but the siatko. or harpo.in. being well fixed, he cannot escape from the 

 hummock on which the Eskimo have fastened the Une. When the animal becomes 

 a little weary, tlie hunter launches liis canoe,, and lying out of his reach, spears him 

 to deatli. 



When the ice is gone seals are shot or harpooned with the igimang 

 and the agdliaq. The float prevents their escajje and they are kille<l 

 witli the anguvigang or the qapun. Later in summer, when they 

 begin to shed their fur. they lose almost all their blubber and sink 

 when shot ; therefore they must be hunted with the harpoon and 

 the float. As the walrus is a dangerous foe should it turn upon 

 the hunters in their light boats, the harpoon is thrown from a great 

 distance, and the animal is not attacked at close quartei'S until it is 

 well nigh exhausted by dragging the float and the niutang and by 

 loss of blood. A great number of walrus are shot or harjiooned 

 while basking on the low islands and rocks. 



There are a few shoals and narrow inlets in Frobisher Bay and 

 Cumberland Sound in which great numbers of seals are caught 

 during the summer. In hunting them at those places some of the 

 Eskimo in kayaks occupy the shallow entrance of the inlet, while 

 otliers scare the seals from its head. As the seals approach its outlet 

 tluiy are speared by those who are lying in wait for them. Since the 

 natives have procui-ed firearms seals are shot from the boats, and in 

 whale boats they even attack the walrus, though they prefer to have 

 drifting ice near at hand in case the fierce animal should turn upon 

 them and tear the boat with its powerful tusks. This method of 

 hunting is very successful in openings which intersect the land floe 

 in spring. To the.se places an enormous number of seals and walrus 

 ETH 32, 



