208 VERY BAD LUCK. 



"fast " one by shooting him, in doing which I 

 unfortunately smashed the forepart 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 firewood 

 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 un- 

 luckily 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 all gained the 

 sea. The rowers ran the boat against the ice, 

 and Christian and myself jumped out and ran 

 down the sloping ice to intercept the walrus ; 

 not being able to see his head, I fired an un- 

 availing shot into his shoulder, and Christian, 

 getting to the brink of the ice just as the 



