MATERNAL AFFECTION OF WALRUS. 69 



he knew very well to whom the harpoon had be- 

 longed. 



I never in my life witnessed any thing more in- 

 teresting and more affecting than the wonderful 

 maternal affection displayed by this poor walrus. 

 After she was fast to the harpoon and was dragging 

 the boat furiously among the icebergs, I was going 

 to shoot her through the head that we might have 

 time to follow the others ; but Christian called to 

 me not to shoot, as she had a "junger" with her. 

 Although I did not understand his object, I re- 

 served my fire, and upon looking closely at the 

 walrus when she came up to breathe, I then per- 

 ceived that she held a very young calf under her 

 right arm, and I saw that he wanted to harpoon 

 it ; but whenever he poised the weapon to throw, 

 the old cow seemed to watch the direction of it, and 

 interposed her own body, and she seemed to receive 

 with pleasure several harpoons which were intend- 

 ed for the young one. At last a well-aimed dart 

 struck the calf, and we then shortened up the lines 

 attached to the cow and finished her with the 

 lances. Christian now had time and breath to ex- 

 plain to me why he was so anxious to secure the 

 calf, and he proceeded to give me a practical illus- 

 tration of his meaning by gently "stirring up 11 the 

 unfortunate junger with the butt end of a harpoon 

 shaft. This caused the poor little animal ro emit a 

 peculiar, plaintive, grunting cry, eminently express- 

 ive of alarm and of a desire for assistance, and 



