DANGEROUS SPORT. 455 



uplifted and gaping jaws. Swimming straight away 

 from us, it was soon lost to view, and we could only 

 see its bloody tracks. At length, however, the boat 

 overtook the poor creature, when an end was presently 

 put to its misery. 



"Ordinarily on these occasions," the Professor con- 

 tinues, "the harpooner alone is armed; the rowers having 

 enough to do to retard, as far as may be, the progress of 

 the boat, which the walrus drags after him by means of 

 the line. It is always needful to guard against the 

 animal, after it has dived, from coining up to the 

 surface, either under or alongside of the boat, as it has 

 sufficient strength to capsize even a ship's boat. I myself, 

 indeed, have seen a boat the bottom of which a walrus 

 had severed right across with its fearful tusks ; and only 

 last summer the mate of a Mensburg vessel was, in this 

 very .locality, dragged out of a boat by a wounded walrus, 

 and perished miserably. A skilful harpooner, neverthe- 

 less, is not afraid of engaging in combat with more than 

 one of these animals at the same time. Once we rowed 

 right in amongst a drove of fifteen walruses that were 

 swimming in the open water. Two of the number were 

 speared in rapid succession, and with this team (forspand) 

 the boat flew away with the rapidity of an arrow. About 

 ten minutes elapsed before the contest was ended. The 

 remainder of the drove kept in the vicinity, and grouped 

 themselves immediately alongside of their beleaguered 



/ 



comrades, on whom they stared with a look expressive of 

 curiosity and wonder ; but they did not attempt to assist 

 them, as is said to be frequently the case under similar 

 circumstances." 



The captain in whose ship M. Keilhau made the 

 voyage to the Arctic regions had previously passed two 

 winters (1825-6 and 1826-7) on Cherry Island, chiefly 

 for the purpose of walrus-hunting, and from him the 



