FAREWELL TO THE SHIPS 27 



pooned it, and as it took to the water the ice turned 

 over, and to my chagrin the bull that I had killed 

 slipped off and sank before it could be secured. The 

 wounded one, fast to the harpoon line, was killed 

 after Larned had put ten shots into it. I have never 

 seen any animal with so much vitality. It appears 

 to make no difference how much lead one puts into 

 a walrus, it will not prove fatal unless placed within 

 a certain radius in the head. The best and surest shot 

 is about six inches behind the eye. 



The walrus was towed ashore, an exceedingly slow 

 job, and then with a rope attached to it we attempted 

 to haul it out of the water. But the combined effort 

 of the six of us was not sufficient to budge it, and we 

 were finally forced to leave it grounded, and anchored 

 to shore by harpoon lines. I should estimate that 

 the carcass weighed fully two thousand pounds, and 

 it had a very fair pair of tusks. 



No more walrus were sighted, and we made a visit 

 to Saunders Island, where there is one of the largest 

 rookeries of Arctic looms * and gulls on the Green- 

 land coast. On approaching the island we discovered 

 it to be simply alive with birds. I had never seen 

 anything to equal. When a gun was fired millions 

 of them rose on the wing from the perpendicular 

 cliffs. The sky overhead was literally shut from 

 view, and the air was filled with their shrill cries. 

 Thirty eider ducks and sixty-three looms were killed. 

 The latter had a decidedly fishy flavor, and were not 

 very toothsome. 



Guillemot. 



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