228 THEOUGH THE MAOKEJSTZIE BASIl^ 



lin Bay. The Anderson Eskimos frequently brought into 

 the post for trade various articles made from the ivory tusks 

 of the walrus. Their umiaks, or women's boats, are usually 

 made by sewing the requisite numiber of hides together and , 

 placing them over a frame-work composed of drift timiber. 

 The skins are also cut up into stout thongs, which are highly 

 valued, and the ibest procurajble for dog-sled line lashings. 

 Its flesh and oil are greatly prized by the Eskimos. After 

 passing to the east of Point Barrow, Doctor Armstrong was 

 " surprised by seeing numerous herds of walruses (Trichechus 

 rosmarus) grouped together on the large detached masses of 

 ice, drifted off from the main pack, apparently asleep or 

 basking in the sunshine. The novelty of a sight so unex- 

 pected was gladly welcomed, and various and amusing were 

 the opinions given by the men who had never seen them 

 before as to what they could possibly be, while they gazed 

 in mute wonder and amazement at the strange sight before 

 them. They did not exhibit any feeling of alarm as we 

 approached; one or two could be seen dropping into the 

 water, but it was not until we had got within a few yards 

 of them that, as if by a preconcerted signal, they rolled or 

 tumbled into the sea, and for a time became invisible. They 

 appeared to live in perfect harmony, a lazy, listless air char- 

 acterizing the whole. I could not but admire the affection 

 displayed by the dam for her young, which were crawling 

 on the maternal back as we approached; but the moment 

 the mothers perceived the danger, they seized them under 

 their arms and disappeared; nor did we see them again at 

 the surface until there existed no cause for alarm. Green- 

 land Arctic seamen consider the ' marine beef ' of this animal 

 excellent eating, an opinion concurred in by all medical men 

 who have been engaged in polar explorations." 



General Greely gives latitude T9° 40' north as the high- 

 est probable range of the walrus. It is indigenous in Hudson 

 Bay and Strait and also in many other portions of the north- 

 ern ocean. 



