94 COURAGE OF A YOUNG WALRUS. 



up, and thrusting the muzzle down the throat 

 of the leader, fired into his bowels. The wound 

 proved mortal, and the animal fell back amongst 

 his companions, who immediately desisted from 

 the attack, assembled round him, and in a mo- 

 ment quitted the boat, swimming away as hard 

 as they could with their leader, whom they ac- 

 tually bore up with their tusks, and assiduously 

 preserved from sinking. Whether this singular 

 and compassionate conduct, which in all pro- 

 bability was done to prevent suffocation, arose 

 from the sagacity of the animals, it is difficult 

 to say, but there is every probability of it, and 

 the fact must form an interesting trait ' in the 

 history of the habits of the species. 



After the discharge of the purser's gun there 

 remained of all the herd only one little assail- 

 ant, which the seamen, out of compassion, were 

 unwilling to molest. This young animal had 

 been observed fighting by the side of the leader, 

 and from the protection which was afforded it 

 by its courageous patron, was imagined to be one 

 of its young. The little animal had no tusks, 

 but it swam violently against the boat, and 

 struck her with its head, and indeed would have 

 stove her, had it not been kept off by whale-lances, 

 some of which made deep incisions in its young 

 sides ; these, however, had not any immediate 



