WALRUSES. 55 



unusual a disturbance proceeded. These little 

 alarms, which would have passed unheeded in 

 situations frequented by man, proved, more 

 than any other incident, how great a stranger 

 he was in these regions ; a feeling which, I 

 must confess, carried with it an agreeable sen- 

 sation, arising, no doubt, from the conviction 

 that we were treading a ground which had 

 been but rarely visited before. 



When we first rowed into this bay it was 

 in quiet possession of herds of walruses, who 

 were so unaccustomed to the sight of a boat 

 that they assembled about her apparently highly 

 incensed at the intrusion, and swam towards 

 her as though they would have torn the planks 

 asunder with their tusks. The wounds that were 

 inflicted only served to increase their rage, and, I 

 frankly admit, that, when I considered how many 

 miles we were from our vessel, and what might 

 be the result of this onset, I wished we had 

 the support of a second boat; we continued, 

 however, to keep them off with our fire-arms, 

 and fortunately came off without any accident. 

 When we afterwards came to anchor, we went 

 better provided, and succeeded in killing several 

 of these animals upon the ice at the head of 



the bay. 



We found some of these monsters fourteen 



