THE WALRUS 163 



was attached through one of the foreyard blocks 

 and raise it by a steam winch. Gradually the 

 body emerged from the water, and seeing it 

 then one would have believed it to be a hippo- 

 potamus whose teeth had grown outwards. It 

 came over the netting on to the deck, where it 

 lay a shapeless, flaccid mass of flesh,' weighing 

 about two tons. 



The female that I had shot was, on the other 

 hand, a splendid specimen, its body being 

 covered with silvery fur, its head being finer, if 

 one may use such an expression in connection 

 with such a hideous muzzle. As regards the 

 calf, which Swensen estimated to be about two 

 years old, it weighed three-quarters of a ton, 

 and its little tusks measured from three to 

 four inches in length, curving towards the under 

 lips. 



We resumed our course, and as the weather 

 did not appear altogether promising we decided 

 to return to our anchorage of the morning and 

 give the men time to skin our game. I also 

 intended to build a cairn and place in it the 

 Ziegler provisions to preserve them from the 

 bears. 



At 6.30 P.M. we again dropped anchor off 

 the beach near the stranded icebergs. We 

 dined quickly, and afterwards I dictated a 



M 2 



