404 A WALRUS HUNT. 



above the sea-level, some geological student of future 



ages may, perhaps, be as much puzzled to know how 



they came there as those of the present generation 



are to account for the boulders of the Connecticut 



valley. 



July 3d. 



I have had a walrus hunt and a most exciting day's 

 sport. Much ice has broken adrift and come down 

 the Sound, during the past few days ; and, when the 

 sun is out bright and hot, the walrus come up out of 

 the water to sleep and bask in the warmth on the 

 pack. Being upon the hill-top this morning to select 

 a place for building a cairn, my ear caught the hoarse 

 bellow^ing of numerous walrus ; and, upon looking over 

 the sea I observed that the tide was carrying the pack 

 across the outer limit of the bay, and that it was alive 

 with the beasts, which were filHng the air with such 

 uncouth noises. Their numbers appeared to be even 

 beyond conjecture, for they extended as far as the eye 

 could reach, almost every piece of ice being covered. 

 There must have been, indeed, many hundreds or 

 even thousands. 



Hurrying from the hill, I called for volunteers, and 

 quickly had a boat's crew ready for some sport. Put- 

 ting three rifles, a harpoon, and a line into one of the 

 whale-boats, we dragged it over the ice to the open 

 water, into which it was speedily launched. 



We had about two miles to pull before the margin 

 of the pack was reached. On the cake of ice to 

 which we first came, there were perched about two 

 dozen animals ; and these we selected for the attack. 

 They covered the raft almost completely, lying 

 huddled together, lounging in the sun or lazily roll- 

 ing and twisting themselves about, as if to expose 



