A FIGHT WITII WALRUSES. 131 
had crawled upon the ice, to enjoy the fine weather and rest 
themselves. The boats, properly equipped, and manned with 
some of the officers and seamen, pushed off in pursuit of them. 
The first herd which was selected disappointed the sportsmen, 
but another was so intent upon its gambols, that the sentinel 
absolutely forgot his duty, and several of the crew managed to 
effect a landing upon the ice without any alarm being given to 
the animals; as soon, however, as the first musket was fired, 
the affrighted group made such a desperate rush towards the 
edge of the ice that they nearly overturned the whole of the 
assailing party, purposely stationed there to intercept them. 
The seamen, finding this charge more formidable than they 
expected, were obliged to separate to allow their opponents to 
pass through their ranks; and being thus in their turn taken by 
surprise, they suffered them, almost unmolested, to perform 
their somersaults towards the sea. What with their uncertain 
movements, the extreme toughness of their skin, and the 
respectful distance at which the men were obliged to keep, to 
avoid the lashing of the head and tusks of the animals, it was 
indeed no easy task to inflict any serious injury upon them. 
One, however, was desperately wounded in the head with a ball, 
and the mate of the brig, being determined if possible to secure 
his prey, resolutely struck his tomahawk into his skull; but the 
enraged animal, with a twist of its head, sent the weapon whirl- 
ing in the air, and then lashing his neck, as though he would 
destroy with his immense tusks everything that came in his way, 
effected his escape to the water. The seamen followed and 
pushed off in their boats; but the walruses, finding themselves 
more at home now than on the ice, in their turn became the 
assailants. They rose in great numbers about the boats, snort- 
ing with rage, and rushing at the boats, and it was with the 
utmost difficulty they were prevented upsetting or staving them 
by placing their tusks upon the gunwales, or by striking at 
them with their heads. It was the opinion of the seamen that 
in this assault the walruses were led on by one animal in par- 
ticular, a much larger and more formidable beast than any of 
the others, and they directed their efforts more particularly 
towards him; but he withstood all the blows of their tomahawks 
without flinching, and his tough hide resisted the entry of the 
whale lances, which were unfortunately not very sharp, and soon 
