GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 75 



" fell a killing of the beasts. . . . We killed that day six- 

 ty Morses, all the heads whereof were very principall." They 

 departed soon after for England. 



The next year (1605) they returned to Cherie Island. On the 

 8th of July, says the account, " we entred into a Cove, having 

 all our men on shoare with shot and javelins, and slue abundance 

 of Morses. The yeere before we slue all with shot, not think- 

 ing that a javelin could pierce their skinnes : which we found 

 now contrarie, if they be well handled, for otherwise, a man may 

 thrust with all his force and not enter : or if he doe enter, he 

 shall spoyle his Lance upon their bones ; for they will strike 

 with their fore-feet and bend a Lance round and breake it, if it 

 bee not all the better plated. They will also strike with their 

 Teeth at him that is next them : but because their Teeth grow 

 downward, their strokes are of small force and danger." They 

 took in " eleven tunnes of Oyle, and the teeth of all the beasts 

 aforesaid." 



The following year (1606) they again set out for Cherie Island* 

 arriving there July 3. They found the ice still about the island, 

 and the Walruses not yet on shore ; " For their nature is such, 

 that they will not come on land as long as any Ice is about the 

 land." On the 14th they perceived on shore " of the beasts 

 sufficient to make our voyage, wee prepared to goe killing. 

 Master Welden and Master Bennet appointed mee to take eleven 

 men with rnee, and to goe beyond the beasts where they lay 5 

 that they and wee might meet at the middest of them, and so 

 enclose them, that none of them should get into the Sea, . . 

 . . and before six houres were ended, we had slayne about 

 seven or eight hundred Beasts. . . . For ten dayes space 

 we plyed our businesse very hard, and brought it almost to an 

 end." They took in " two and twentie tuns of the Oyle of the 

 Morses, and three hogsheads of their Teeth." 



In 1608 they again reached Cherie Island toward the end of 

 June, and onthe22d "came into a Cove where the Morses were, 

 and slew about 900. or 1000. of them in less than seven houres: 

 and then we plied our business untill the second of July : at 

 what time we had taken into our ship 22. tunnes and three hogs- 

 heads of Oyle." On their return they took with them two live 

 young Walruses, one of which lived till they reached London.* 



The voyage in 1609 was less successful. They slew at one 

 time eighty, at another one hundred and fifty, and at still an- 



*Purchas his Pilgrimes, vol. iii, pp. 557-560. 



