THE WALRUS. 179 



roarings, or if asleep, by pecking at them with their tusks, when all make a pre- 

 cipitate retreat from the ice, or they will tumble and roll over the rocks or rough 

 ground, if on shore, in their flight to the sea, unless detained with their young. 

 "The chase of the Walrus is of great antiquity; accordingly, we find that Ohthere, 

 a Norwegian, about the year 890 gave an account of it to Alfred the Great, having, 

 he says, 'made a voyage beyond Norway for the more commodite of fishing horse- 

 whales, which have in their teeth bones of great price and excellence, whereof he 

 brought some at his return to the King.'" 



The capture of the Walrus is made both upon the water and land. It is 

 stated that a Greenlander will never venture on the encounter alone, nor without 

 the assistance of three or four expert comrades. They employ a harpoon, which, 

 however, from the toughness of the skin, is fixed with difficulty, and hence it is 

 not so easy an operation as the striking of a whale. When the instrument holds, 

 the animal is allowed to swim about until it is wearied ; they then try to secure it 

 and kill it with lances. But even under these circumstances the process is not an 

 easy one ; the creature, as we have stated, getting roused and fighting a hard battle. 

 It is necessary, according to Zorgdrager, to make a selection. Accordingly, the 

 fishers aim at the eyes, which obliges the animal to turn its head, and then the 

 fatal blow is aimed at the breast. "In this crisis," remarks Scoresby, "the best 

 defense against these enraged animals is sea-sand, Avhich, being thrown into their 

 eyes, occasions partial blindness and obliges them to disperse ; then tlie captured 

 one becomes a more easy prey." According to Lord Sheldham's account of the 

 capture of Walruses upon the land in early times, the hunters, armed with spears, 

 and under cover of night, with trained dogs, made an effort to partially disperse 

 the main herd ; then falling upon detachments of the animals, which, being bewil- 

 dered in the darkness, were then slain in large numbers. Godman relates that 

 one of the Esc|uimaux modes of killing the Walrus in summer is, when perceiving a 

 lai-ge herd asleep on the floating ice, they paddle to some other piece near by, 

 which is small enough to be moved. On this they lift their canoes, and then bore 

 holes, through which they fasten their lines ; and when every thing is prepared, 

 they quietly paddle their ice -float toward the herd, each hunter sitting by his own 

 spear and line. "When arrived at the place where the animals lie snoring, each 

 man, if so disposed, strikes a diff"erent one, though two generally attack the same. 

 The stricken creature instantly makes great eff"ort to escape, but, although he tum- 

 bles into the water, he is held by the spear -lines which are made fast to the ice. 

 As soon as the victim becomes wearied, the hunter launches his canoe, and at a 

 safe distance spears him to death." According to our observation, the manner of 



