AMUSING WALRUS-HUNT. 213 



spirits. They had killed seven fat reindeer and one 

 seal, after an expenditure of between five and six 

 hundred rounds of ammunition. The British sail- 

 or is generally a most enthusiastic but lamentably 

 unsuccessful sportsman, and we were exceedingly 

 amused by the way they described their sporting 

 exploits. The mate told me "he never saw hani- 

 mals so hard to kill as the reindeer in his life." 

 "Why, sir," said he, "there was one fellow I fired 

 at, and broke his hind leg — broke it right off, sir — 

 and even that didn't kill him ; and, Lord bless you, 

 sir, he ran much faster on three legs than I could. 

 Then I shot him through the head, sir, and made 

 his jaw hang down ; but even that didn't kill him, 

 till I got up nearer him and gave him a settler." 



Another sailor gravely told me that he had fired 

 at a white whale from the beach and wounded him, 

 upon which the infuriated monster ran right ashore 

 in its frantic efforts " to get at him." 



Their description of a walrus-hunt, however, was 

 quite the most refreshing sporting narrative I ever 

 listened to. This unlucky animal, the only one they 

 had seen, floated alongside of the yacht on a cake 

 of ice while they were at anchor in Bell Sound. 

 Half the crew were absent in the whale-boat, which 

 contained all the harpoons and lances ; but Mr. 

 Wood and two hands, armed with a rifle and a shot- 

 gun, valorously attacked the monster in the dingy. 

 Unluckily, they only took two cartridges for the 

 rifle ; but they commenced proceedings by admin- 



