268 SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



receded to a considerable distance from the coast, and the low shore, after 

 makinj^ a large bend, again projecting a good deal to the eastward. 



In the course of this day the walruses became more and more numerous 

 every hour, lying in large herds upon the loose pieces of drift-ice ; and it 

 having fallen calm at one P.M., we despatched our boats to endeavour to 

 kill some for the sake of the oil which they afford. On approaching the 

 ice our people found them huddled close to, and even lying upon, one 

 another in separate droves of from twelve to thirty, the whole number 

 near the boats being perhaps about two hundred. Most of them waited 

 quietly to be fired at ; and even after one or two discharges did not seem to 

 be greatly disturbed, but allowed the people to land on the ice near them, 

 and, when approached, shewed an evident disposition to give battle. After 

 they had got into the water, three were struck with harpoons and killed from 

 the boats. When first wounded they became quite furious, and one, which 

 had been struck from Captain Lyon's boat, made a resolute attack upon her, 

 and injured several of the planks with its enormous tusks. A number of the 

 others came round them, also repeatedly striking the Avounded animals with 

 their tusks, with the intention either of getting them away or else of joining 

 in the attack upon them. Many of these animals had young ones which, 

 when assaulted, they eidier took between their fore-flippers to carry off, 

 or bore away on their backs. Boih of those killed by the Fury's boats 

 ■>vere females, and the weight of the largest was fifteen hundred-weight and 

 two quarters nearly ; but it was by no means remarkable for the largeness of 

 its dimensions. The jjcculiar barking-noise made by the walrus, when irri- 

 tated, may be heard, on a calm day, with great distinctness at the distance of 

 two miles at least. We found nuisquet-balls the most certain and expeditious 

 way of despatching them after they had been once struck with the harpoon, 

 the thickness of their skin being such, (hat whale-lances generally bend with- 

 out penetrating it. One of these creatures, being accidentally touched by one 

 of the oars in Lieutenant Nias's boat, took hold of it between its flippers and 

 forcibly twisting it out of the man's hand, snapped it in two. They produced 

 us very little oil, the blubber being thin and poor at this season, but were 

 welcome in a way tjiat had not been anticipated ; for some quarters of this 

 " marine beef," as Captain Cook has called it, being hung up for steaks, the 

 meat was not only eaten, but eagerly sought after on this and every other 

 occasion throughout the voyage, by all those among us who could overcome 

 the prejudice arising chiefly from the dark colour of the flesh. In no other 



