DEAD WALRUS FOUND. 237 



CHAPTER XVI. 



Dead "Walrus found. — Bears nearly escape, but are caught. — 

 Gale and Ice. — Mynherr Holmengreen. — Presents more 

 Kaffirorum. — Send home the Sloop. — Result of Ericson's 

 eight Months' Voyage. — South Cape. — Sugar-loaf Mountain. 

 — " Right Whales." — Parasitical Gulls. — Practical Joke. — 

 Arctic Fauna. — Chain of Subsistence. — Divergence of White 

 Bear from original Stock. — Probable Origin of the Walrus. 

 — And of the Seal. — Of the Cetaceans. — Changes in the 

 South African Antelopes, caused by Desiccation of that 

 country. 

 t 



The "Anna Louisa's" people had also killed a 



few reindeer on the extensive plains near the Rus- 

 sian huts ; and they had found a bull-walrus float- 

 ing dead in the water, and of course added his 

 blubber to the cargo. He was probably one of 

 those we had shot and sunk. I believe they all 

 float up after a few days, but the currents are so 

 strong that they are swept away to sea, and are 

 very rarely recovered. 



The young bears had made a most determined ef- 

 fort to escape, and had very nearly succeeded. One 

 day, while all hands except the cook were ashore, 

 they had taken the opportunity to eat through the 

 rotten drift-wood composing their cage, and to break 

 out on deck. The cook, hearing the scuffling, of 



