116 vfA^uUis, uu SEA-HORSE. 



in two or three places. Three only were killed."* 

 And thus Zorgdrager, " When a blow is struck 

 witn a spear, it must instantly be retracted to pre- 

 vent the animal from seizing it, and with it wound- 

 ing the assailant, as sometimes happens. When se- 

 verely wounded itself, it becomes very furious, 

 striking from one side to another with its teeth, and 

 breaking the weapons with which it is attacked ; 

 and at last burning with rage, it places its head be- 

 tween its paws, and allows itself to tumble into the 

 sea/' The only other witness we shall adduce on 

 these points is Captain Phipps, afterwards Lord Mul- 

 grave, who encountered them during his attempted 

 voyage to the North Pole in 1773. When near an 

 island to the north of Spitzbergen, he remarks 

 " Two officers engaged in an encounter with a W^al- 

 rus, from which they came off with little honour. 

 The animal, being alone, was wounded in the first 

 instance ; but, 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."! 



Their mutual affection having now been rendered 

 sufficiently apparent, we shall add an anecdote or 

 two, bearing more especially on their parental re- 

 gards. " The female," says the illustrious Captain 

 Cook, " will defend the young one to the very last, 



Ed. Cab. Lib. i. 299. t Lib. cit. i. p. 374. 



