84 ODOBiENUS ROSMARUS ATLANTIC WALRUS. 



The Wakus is also referred to by Hector Boethius in 1526, in 

 his History of Scotland ; * by Herberstain (or Herberstein, as 

 also written) in 1549; by Pare about the year 1600; and by Al- 

 drovandiis in 1642. 



Herberstain also very correctly indicates the habits of these 

 animals, which, he says, repair to the shore in large herds to 

 repose, and that while the herd sleeps one of their number 

 keeps watch. He compares their feet to those of the Beaver, 

 and refers to the value of their tusks to the Russians, Turks, 

 and Tartars, and observes that they called them fish-teeth, t 



Even before the middle of the sixteenth century. Walruses 

 had been met with on the eastern shore of North America. In 

 May, 1534, they were seen by Cartier, and later in the same 

 century by Fischer, Drake, and others, on the coast of ISTot^ 

 Scotia and adjacent islands, and later still by other explorers on 

 the islands in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (see antea, j). 66), in 

 the accounts of whose voyages! occur interesting notices of 

 these animals. 



In the year 1553, Edward VI of England sent an expedi- 

 tion under Willoughby and Chancellor to the White Sea, which 

 resulted in still further increasing Qur knowledge of the Wal- 

 ruses, especially of their distribution eastward along the Arctic 

 coast of Europe and Asia. Chancellor's short account refers 

 especially to the uses made of the skins and tusks. 



The earliest delineations of the Wabus appear to have been 

 made by Olaus Magnus in his " Tabula Terrarum Septentrio- 

 nalium" (1555), where he has portrayed many strange and fabu- 

 lous animal forms which there is reason to believe were based 

 upon this animal. 1 1 Gesner a few years later (1558), in his " His- 



debilitated, fearful, aud half dead, he is made a rich prey, especially for his 

 Teeth, that are very pretious amongst the Scythians, the Moscovites, Rus- 

 sians, and Tartars, (as Ivory amongst the Indians) by reason of its hardness, 

 whiteness, and ponderousnesse. For which cause, by excellent industry of 

 Artificers, they are made fit for handles for Javelins : And this is also testi- 

 fied by Mechovita, an Historian of Poland, in his double Sarmatia, and 

 Paulus Jovius after him, relates it by the Relation of one Demetrius, that 

 was sent from the great Duke of Moscovy, to Pope Clement the 7th." Loc. 

 cit., pp. 231,232. 



" "Scotorum Regni Descriptio, j). 90," as cited by various writers. 



t Herberstain, as cited by von Baer, 1. c, p. 111. 



t See Hakluyt's Voyages, vol. iii, ed. 1810, pp. 237, 238, 242, 249, 254, etc. 



^ See Hakluyt's Voyages, vol. i, ed. 1599, p. 237. 



II Olaus Magnus's figures will be noticed later under the section devoted 

 to the figures of the Walrus {posted,, p. 92 et scq.). 



