THE WALRUS. 481 



astonislied above the surface, utters at once a cry of 

 alarm, swimming towards it as quickly as possible. This 

 call brings up others, awakens the sleepers which the boat 

 had carefully avoided, and in a short time the small vessel 

 is followed, by a number of these monsters, blustering in 

 apparent or real fury in all their hideousness. The crea- 

 tures may possibl}'' be only actuated by curiosity, but 

 their manner of showing it is unfortunately so ill-chosen 

 that one feels obliged to act on the defensive. The 

 bellowing, jerking, and diving herd is now but a short 

 distance from the boat. The first shot strikes, and this 

 inflames their wrath, and now begins a wild fight in which 

 some of the black sphynxes are struck with axes on the 

 flappers, with which they threaten to overturn the boat. 

 Others of the men defend 'themselves with a spear or with 

 the blade of an oar. 



Often, from some unknown cause, these creatures turn 

 suddenly from the fight, jerking and diving under water, 

 and when at some distance, turn their ugly heads to look 

 back, and fill the air with their vindictive grunts. 



In the summer of 1869 a boat excursion to Cape Wynn 

 with difficulty escaped the destruction of their craft. 

 Another time they were followed by a herd and succeeded 

 in reaching the shore of an island, where, though only for 

 a short time, they were blockaded in. The longer you 

 live in Arctic regions the less can you persuade yourself 

 to attack these creatures in their own element, unless 

 forced by pressing circumstances, i. e., want of either food 

 or of oil, and then it is advisable, if in boats, to provide 

 oneself with cartridges. The most successful hunt is 

 when these creatures are surprised on the ice-floes. When 

 approaching very near them, the oars are shipped and the 



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