THE WALRUS 171 



we were aboard again we sailed towards it. 

 There was, indeed, a bear, but it was too far in 

 towards the interior to be approached. Further, 

 the ice was rotten, so that even if I killed it, 

 it would have been too dangerous to send men 

 to bring its carcass to the ship. I therefore 

 abandoned it. 



While watching through the binoculars the 

 movements of this bear as it ambled slowly 

 away, I discovered four others. There were 

 then five bears in sight at the same moment on 

 the ice in Bruyn Straits ! But there was also a 

 fog, and large icebergs were rapidly accumulat- 

 ing between us and the open sea. I there- 

 fore thought it wiser to gain safety rather 

 than wait the problematical approach of these 

 animals. 



At eleven o'clock Rachlew gave notice that 

 he had seen a blue seal on a floe in the fog. As 

 I was undressed, I told him to go and shoot it. 

 He was away half an hour. On his return he 

 told me that he had set out, accompanied by 

 Merite, in the canoe, and had made his way 

 towards the supposed seal. It had dived 

 before he got within range, to reappear alongside 

 the canoe in the form of a magnificent walrus ! 

 Rachlew had desired to harpoon it, but the men 

 cried out to him to shoot, the canoe being too 



