80 AFFECTIONATE CONDUCT OF A WALRUS 



to be within the length of a shot, presently 

 levelled his piece, and, discharging it at the beare, 

 shot her into the head, betweene the eyes, and 

 yet she held the man still fast by the necke, 

 and lifted vp her head with the man in her 

 mouth; but shee began somewhat to stagger, 

 wherewith the purser and a Scottish man drew 

 out their curtelaxes and strooke at her so hard 

 that their curtelaxes burst, and yet she would 

 not leaue the man ; at last William Gey sen went 

 to them, and with all his might strooke the 

 beare vpon the snout with his piece, at which 

 time the beare fell to the ground, making a 

 great noyse, and William Geysen leaping vpon 

 her cut her throat." * 



The following evening we were greatly amused 

 by the singular and affectionate conduct of a 

 walrus towards its young. In the vast sheet 

 of ice which surrounded the ships, there were 

 occasionally many pools ; and, when the weather 

 was clear and warm, animals of various kinds 

 would frequently rise and sport about in them, 

 or crawl from thence upon the ice to bask in 

 the warmth of the sun. A walrus rose in one 

 of these pools close to the ship, and, finding 

 everything quiet, dived down and brought up 

 its young, which it held to its breast by press- 



* Purchas, his Pilgrimes, vol. Hi. p. 481. 



