188 JUST RETRIBUTION. 



inant's eyes sparkled as he related it. He 

 said the walruses were then at their mercy, 

 and they slew, and stabbed, and slaughtered, 

 and butchered, and murdered until most of 

 their lances were rendered useless, and them- 

 selves were drenched with blood and exhausted 

 with fatigue. They went on board the vessels, 

 ground their lances, and had their dinners, 

 and then returned to their sanguinary work ; 

 nor did they cry " Hold, enough ! " until 

 they had killed nine hundred walruses; and 

 yet so fearless or so lethargic were the animals, 

 that many hundreds more remained sluggishly 

 lying on other parts of the island at no great 

 distance. 



Their two small sloops, already partially 

 loaded, could only carry away a very small 

 portion of the spoil ; but they trusted to being 

 able to return from Hammerfest with other 

 vessels to convey away the remainder. The 

 result, however, was a very striking illustra- 

 tion of the truth of the adage, " Vhomme 

 propose, et Dieu dispose ; " for on their return 

 they were most justly punished for their 

 wasteful and wanton slaughter of these useful 

 animals, by finding the island surrounded by 

 many miles of heavy and impenetrable drift- 



