Kodiak Natives Skilled
Hunters
THU \ ALOKZ Ml.NKR
On1: of the most important pursuits
of the Kodiak natives in the days be
fore the Territory was acquired by
the Cnited States was the chase of the
whale, which was used for foc-d and
its oil for heat and food. Only one
species of whale is kuown to visit the
waters surrounding the island, but
according to their ages the natives
designate them by name. The clas
sification adopted isasfollows: First
the old or full grown whale they call
aonikvai: the half grown wha* is
named kavoikhnak; t,be third, the
vearling, ts called agaehmals. Of
the three the yearlings and cal ves are
hunted most exclusively.
In tbs ni'.m*h of July the whales be
gin to make their appearance in the
b:iv« following up the small fish and
mollmilcs upon whilst they feed
Some bays are visited several times
during the summer and the huntcou
tinties sometimes as late as August.
On such occaesiors the two hole bi
darkas left, the beach at early dawn
for the bay where the whale had been
reported by the argus-eyed scouts.
Of the two men in the btdarka only
the one in front was a whaler, the
otheracting a* assistant or paddler,
having nothing to do but obey tile
other’s orders Having approached
to within a short distance of a whale
the man carefully notes the direction
in which the animal dives and calcu
lates to a nicety the spot, at which he
will come up to spout. If he is for
tunate to emerge within throwing
distance, which is about. 2d or 30 feet
of the rising monster the whaler
.trows hi» spear, aiming at the mid
die tin on ’jack, and hs soon as the
spear is driven home the canoe is pro
pelled away as rapidly as possible in
order to escape ihe violent movements
of the wounded animal. It is princi
pally on account of the dauber of
capsizing that two canoes alwava go
together.
The spear used by the native* in the
day* of llolmburg and Dfcvidof w»s
about six feet in length with a slate
point, which was later changed to
steel.when the Rnaaian* aolonized the
p'.aoe. A* soon »* the point struck
the animal it broke from the shaft
and remained in the wound. The
contortions of the animal only forced
it deeper into the blubber. Upon
the point of his spear each native carv
ed his mark to enable him to claim
his quarry. •* soon as the whale
was wounded he would make for o
pen sea, where the natives said he
“took big sleep” for three days On
the fourth or fifth day the carcass
•would be cast up by the sea upon, soma
beach; but if wind and tide were un
favorable this sometime* would occur
far from the killing place, and many
times whales killed at Kodiak would
be cast up by the waves at Una
laska.
In ancient times pursuit of the
whale was accompanied by numerous
superstitions and observances kept
secret by tbe hunter. Lieut. Dav
idof states that 'he » halers kept the
bodies of certain men distinguished
for their bravery and ability as hunt- >
era, and secluded them in certain
caves, and before preceding on a hunt
would carry the bodies into a stream,
and then drink the water thus taint
ed which was believed to pass the at
tributes of the deceased on the hunt
er.
(To be Continued.)