192 ADVENTURES IN THE NORTHERN SEAS. 



was selfish enough to spoil this very pretty thing 

 by breaking loose and escaping. As we afterward 

 found, this had happened through the line having 

 got twisted round the animal's body and cutting it- 

 self against the edge of the harpoon. I then finish- 

 ed off the remaining " fast" one by shooting him, in 

 doing which I unfortunately smashed the fore part 

 of his head, and spoiled a very fine pair of long 

 white tusks. After flensing these victims, we re- 

 quired to throw out all the remaining fire-wood to 

 make room for them, and yet the boat was up to 

 the thwarts with skins, and blubber, and heads. 



We then turned our attention to the troop of five, 

 which were still in sight about a mile off. This lot 

 lay upon a rather large, sloping iceberg ; we had no 

 cover, and we were obliged to approach at the high 

 side of the berg to get the wind, so that when we 

 got to about forty yards the walruses took the alarm 

 and began to move. I again shot a magnificent 

 bull, with fine tusks, through the head, but, unluck- 

 ily, not quite in the fatal spot ; he fell on the ice, 

 but succeeded in regaining his feet, and began to 

 stagger slowly down the slope after the others, 

 who had by this time gained the sea. The rowers 

 ran the boat against the ice, and Christian and my- 

 self jumped out and ran down the sloping ice to 

 intercept the walrus ; not being able to see his 

 head, I fired an unavailing shot into his shoulder, 

 and Christian, getting to the brink of the ice just 

 as the walrus was staggering in, thrust the bar- 



