but more commonly they are in small herds. When feeding they remain in about the same place, but can stay under water for only about three minutes at a time. They come to the surface to breathe, sport about for a short time, then go down to the bottom and dig clams from the sand for some three minutes, and then rise again to the surface. The Eskimo, taking advantage of their necessity, advances on them only when they are busily occupied at the bottom of the sea. When a walrus reappears at the surface, the hunter, who, with harpoon in hand and line attached to float, awaits its return, hurls his harpoon with great force and precision, burying it deeply in the walrus's flesh.
The wounded monster, maddened by pain, plunges into the water, dives to the bottom, and endeavors to escape. The plunging readily causes the ball-and-socket joint of the harpoon to give, and this allows the head of the harpoon, which is buried in the animal, to become detached and form a button on the end of the harpoon line.
The detached handle floats upon the water, but the line is securely fastened to the body of the walrus, which, in trying to escape, takes with him the line and attached inflated seal-skin; but though he may take this buoy under, and keep it down for a short time, he cannot do so long.
Soon it reappears at the surface, and the hunter seeing it, makes for the spot, and awaits the returning walrus. The moment his head appears, harpoon or lance are hurled at it as before, and unless with fatal results, the same manœuvres are repeated. In this way often two or three harpoon lines and floats are attached to one
