!"><' ITS COURAGE. 



weapons with which it is attacked ; and at last, burning 

 with rage, it places its head between its paws, and allows 

 itself to tumble into the sea." 



It not only can effect much in self-defence, but is also 

 at times willing to lend efficient help to its associates, and 

 thus combining, they become formidable and dangerous 

 foes. "When I wounded one," writes Martens, "others 

 speedily surrounded the boat, and whilst some endeavoured 

 to pierce it with their tusks, others raised themselves out 

 of the water, and did everything they could to board it." 

 Sir Edward Parry, who encountered these animals in the 

 Fox's Channel, tells us again " We saw about two hun- 

 dred piled, as usual, over each other, on the loose drift 

 ice. A boat's crew from the fur;/ and llecla proceeded 

 to the attack, but these gallant amphibia, some with 

 their cubs mounted on their backs, made a most desperate 

 resistance, and one of them tore the planks of a boat in 

 two or three pieces. Three only were killed." Captain 

 Phipps, afterwards Lord Mulgrave, who met with th<->e 

 creatures dining his attempted voyage to the North 

 Pole, in 1773, testifies to the same effect : " When near 

 the north of Spitsbergen," he says, " two officer* engaged 

 in an encounter with a walrus, from which they came oil' 

 with little honour. The animal being alone, was wounded 

 in the first instance, but on plunging into the deep, he 

 obtained a reinforcement of his fellows, who made a 

 united attack upon the boat, wresting an oar from one 

 of the men, and had nearly upset her, when another 

 boat came to their assistance." 



At times the walrus becomes the assailant, which 

 is probably owing to its having been previously subject 

 to molestations. Captain IJcechy describes an attack 

 made on his boat in .Magdalen Bay by a drove of these 

 animals. "They sniT'iunded the craft, and attempted 

 to tear the planks asunder with their formidable tusk^; 



