AFFECTION OF THE WALRUS FOR ITS YOUNG. 191 



" We hoisted out the boats, and sent them in pursuit of 

 the sea-horses that surrounded us. Our people were more 

 successful than they had been before, returning with three 

 large ones and a young one. On the approach of our boats 

 towards the ice, they took all their cubs under their fins, and 

 endeavored to escape with them into the sea. Several, 

 whose young ones were killed or wounded, and were left float- 

 ing on the surface, rose again, and carried them down, just as. 

 our people were going to take them into the boat, and they 

 might be traced bearing them a great distance through the 

 water, which was colored with their blood. We afterwards 

 observed them bringing them up at times above the surface, 

 as if for air, and again diving under it with a dreadful bel- 

 lowing. The female in particular whose young had been de- 

 stroyed and taken into the boat, became so enraged that she 

 attacked the cutter, and struck her tusks through the bot- 

 tom of it. 



Another instance is mentioned, where, in the vast sheet 

 of ice which surrounded the ships there were occasionally 

 many pools, and when the weather was clear and warm, 

 animals of various kinds would frequently rise and sport 

 about in them, or crawl from thence upon the ice, to bask in 

 the warmth of the sun. A walrus rose in one of these pools 

 close to the ship, and finding everything quiet, dived down 

 again, and brought up its young, which it held to its breast 

 by pressing it with its flipper. In this manner it moved 

 about the pool, keeping in an erect posture, and always di- 

 recting the face of its young towards the vessel. On the 

 slightest movement on board the mother released her flip- 

 per, and pushed the young one under water; but when 

 everything was quiet, again brought it up as before, and 

 for a length of time continued to play about the pool, to the 

 great amusement of the sailors." 



Man is not the only assailant of the sea-horse. On land 

 its especial foe is the great Polar bear, and between these 



