176 ADVENTURES IN THE NORTHERN SEAS. 



ants ; the passage to the shore soon got so blocked 

 up with the dead and the dying that the unfortu- 

 nate wretches behind could not pass over, and were 

 in a manner barricaded by a wall of carcasses. Con- 

 sidering that every thrust of a lance was worth 

 twenty dollars, the scene must have been one of 

 terrific excitement to men who had very few or no 

 dollars at all; and my informant's eyes sparkled 

 as he related it. He said the walruses were then 

 at their mercy, and they slew, and stabbed, and 

 slaughtered, and butchered, and murdered until 

 most of their lances were rendered useless, and 

 themselves were drenched with blood and exhaust- 

 ed with fatigue. They went on board their vessels, 

 ground their lances, and had their dinners, and then 

 returned to their sanguinary work ; nor did they 

 cry "Hold, enough! 11 until they had killed nine 

 hundred walruses ; and yet so fearless or so lethar- 

 gic were the animals, that many hundreds more re- 

 mained sluggishly lying on other parts of the island 

 at no great distance. 



Their two small sloops, already partially loaded, 

 could only carry away a small portion of the spoil, 

 but they trusted to being able to return from Ham- 

 merfest with other vessels to convey away the re- 

 mainder. The result, however, was a very striking 

 illustration of the truth of the adage, "IShomme 

 propose, et Dieu dispose ;" for on their return they 

 were most justly punished for their wasteful and 

 wanton slaughter of these useful animals by find- 



