1*8 WALRUS, OR SEA-HORSE. 



surprised to learn that it can be domesticated. The 

 instances of this sort we have met with are not nu- 

 merous, yet we cannot withhold our credence to the 

 statement which De Laet* quotes from Edward 

 Worst, who mentions that he saw one of these ani- 

 mals alive in England, which was three months old, 

 and which had been brought from Nova Zembla. 

 " Every day it was put into water for a short time, 

 but it always seemed happy to return to dry ground 

 It was about the size of a calf; and could open and 

 shut its nostrils at pleasure. It grunted like a wild 

 boar, and someiimes cried with a strong deep voice. 

 It was fed with wild oats or millet, which it rather 

 sucked in than masticated. It was not without 

 difficulty that it approached its master, but it at- 

 tempted to follow him, especially when it had the 

 prospect of receiving nourishment at his hand." 



The Walrus has been known, though very rarely, 

 to visit the British shores. One individual landed 

 in the Island of Harris in the year 1817, and was 

 speedily shot ;f and another would appear to have 

 been killed in Orkney in 18254 



The chase of the Walrus is of great antiquity : 

 accordingly, we find that Octher, the Norwegian, 

 about the year 890, gave an account of it to Alfred 

 the Great, " having," he says, " made a voyage be- 

 yond Norway for the more commoditie of fishing 

 Horse-whales, which have in their teeth bones of 



Description des Indes Occid. apud Buffon. 



t See Edin. Phil. Journal, vol. ii. Paper by Mr MacGillivray. 



J Nat. Lib. Mam. vol. vii. 



