CRIMPED WALRUS. 161 



August 1st. — Although still bright and 

 warm, I first observed young ice forming on 

 the surface to-day ; it was about the thickness 

 of brown paper, and there was much of it 

 along the front of the great glacier, and 

 wherever the sea was protected by icebergs 

 from the wind. 



I rowed for several miles close along the 

 front of the glacier, and killed some seals. 



During the whole day there was a continual 

 succession of loud booming reports from the 

 edges of the smooth glaciers falling in towards 

 the disrupted part ; these explosions seemed to 

 alarm the seals very much, and caused me to 

 lose several which I had marked. 



The sea in- shore swarmed with shrimps, 

 medusae, and the little black winged tadpoles 

 before mentioned. 



The "flensing" of a seal or walrus is, in 

 one respect, a most horrible sight, for imme- 

 diately the skin and blubber is stripped off, 

 the carcass begins to shrink and quiver so 

 violently, as even to seem as if it was strug- 

 gling under the hands and knives of the ope- 

 rators. This shocking appearance is owing 

 to the contraction of the muscles, caused 

 by the sudden cold ; the " subject " is, in 



M 



