230 DIVISION I. VERTEBRAL ANIMALS. — CLASS I. MAMMALIA. 



wounded in tlic Iicad with a Ijall, and the ninte fif tlic lirig, l)cinn' determined, 

 if possible, to secure his prey, resolutely struck liis tomahawk into his skull ; 

 but the enraged animal, witli a twist of his head, sent the weapon whirling 

 in the air, and then lashing his neck, as though he would destroy with his 

 immense tusks everything that came in his way, effected his escai)e to the 

 water. The seamen followed, and pushed off in their boats ; but the wal- 

 ruses, finding themselves more at home now than on the ice, in their turn 

 became the assailants. They rose in great numbers about the Imats, snort- 

 ing with rage, and rushing upon them, so that it was with the utmost diffi- 

 culty they were prevented from upsetting or staving them by placing their 

 tusks upon the gunwales, or by striking at them with their heads. It was 

 the opinion of the seamen that in this assault the walruses were led on by 

 one animal in particular, a nuich larger and more formidable beast than any 

 of the others, and they directed their attention more especially towards him ; 

 but he withstood all the Ijlows of their tomahawks \\ithout flinciiing, and his 

 thick, strong hide resisted the entry of the whale-lances, which, unfortu- 

 nately, were not very sharp, and soon bent double. The herd was so 

 numerous, and their attacks so incessant, tiiat there was not time to load a 

 musket, which, indeed, was the only eil'cctual mode of seriously injuring 

 them. The purser fortunately hud his gun loaded, and the whole now being 

 nearly exhausted with chopping and striking at their assailants, he snatched 

 it up, and thrusting the muzzle down the throat of the leader, fired into his 

 bowels. The wound proved mortal, and the animal fell back amongst his 

 companions, who immediately desisted from the attack, assembled round 

 him, and in a moment (juitted the lioat, swimming away as hard as they 

 could, with their leader, whom they actually bore up with their tusks, and 

 assiduously preserved from siid<ing. After the discharge of the purser's 

 gun, there remained of all the herd but one little assailant, which the sea- 

 men, out of compassion, were imwilling to molest. This j'onng animal had 

 been seen fighting by the side of the leader, and from the protection attiirded 

 it by its Courageous patron, was imagined to lie one of its young. This lit- 

 tle animal had no tusks, but it swam violently against the boat, and struck 

 her with its head, and, indeed, would have stove her, had it not been kept 

 off by \\ hale-lances, some of which made deep incisions in its young sides. 

 These, however, had no innncdiate efi'cct ; the attack was continued, and the 

 heroic little walrus, though disfigured with wounds, even crawdcd upon the 

 ice in pursuit of the seamen, who had returned thither, until one of them, 

 out of }iity, put an end to its sufferings. 



Seals and Walruses the orioixal Tvre of the Mermaids. — In 

 all ages of the world, down to quite a recent period, the belief generally 

 prevailed that the sea contained a race of beings with bodies human from 



