138 HUNTERS AND HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



cable and sought to get the carcass on to the ice. 

 Failure rewarded our efforts ; six of us as we 

 were, we could do no more than drag the head 

 and neck on to the ice. We fastened the end of 

 the rope to a broken oar and jammed it into 

 a crevasse. I then signalled the ship, and shortly 

 afterwards another boat came towards us in 

 which were de Gerlache, Koefoed, Merite, and 

 three French sailors. Reinforced as we were by 

 the new arrivals, it was still as much as we 

 could do to haul the animal on to the ice. It 

 was an enormous and splendid specimen. Its 

 huge rounded body was covered with cicatrices 

 caused by the ice or gained in battles. Its neck 

 was disproportionately large ; its head so small 

 that it seemed to be attached directly to the 

 body. The black muzzle was covered with 

 white bristles as stiff as those of a porcupine. 

 Its long, strong tusks measured twenty-six 

 inches in length, and were two inches in diameter, 

 The eyes were so small as to be almost imper- 

 ceptible. The mouth was closed, and the 

 nostrils, now closed also, were in shape exactly 

 like a fleur-de-lis. Lying stretched to its full 

 length, and flaccid as it was, the animal appeared 

 hideous, bearing little resemblance to the superb 

 beast which had, a short time since, come 

 thrashing majestically through the water towards 





