A FIGHT WITH WALRUSES. 131 



had crawled upon the ice, to enjoy the fine weather and rest 

 themselves. The boats, properly equipped, and manned with 

 some of the officers and seamen, pushed off in pursuit of them. 

 The first herd which was selected disappointed the sportsmen, 

 but another was so intent upon its gambols, that the sentinel 

 absolutely forgot his duty, and several of the crew managed to 

 effect a landing upon the ice without any alarm being given to 

 the animals ; as soon, however, as the first musket was fired, 

 the affrighted group made such a desperate rush towards the 

 edge of the ice that they nearly overturned the whole of the 

 assailing party, purposely stationed there to intercept them. 

 The seamen, finding this charge more formidable than they 

 expected, were obliged to separate to allow their opponents to 

 pass through their ranks ; and being thus in their turn taken by 

 surprise, they suffered them, almost unmolested, to perform 

 their somersaults towards the sea. What with their uncertain 

 movements, the extreme toughness of their skin, and the 

 respectful distance at which the men were obliged to keep, to 

 avoid the lashing of the head and tusks of the animals, it was 

 indeed no easy task to inflict any serious injury upon them. 

 One, however, was desperately wounded in the head with a ball, 

 and the mate of the brig, being determined if possible to secure 

 his prey, resolutely struck his tomahawk into his skull ; but the 

 enraged animal, with a twist of its head, sent the weapon whirl- 

 ing 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 escape to the water. The seamen followed and 

 pushed off in their boats ; but the walruses, finding themselves 

 more at home now than on the ice, in their turn became the 

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

 ing with rage, and rushing at the boats, and it was -with the 

 utmost difficulty they were prevented 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 par- 

 ticular, a much larger and more formidable beast than any of 

 the others, and they directed their efforts more particularly 

 towards him ; but he withstood all the blows of their tomahawks 

 without flinching, and his tough hide resisted the entry of the 

 whale lances, which were unfortunately not very sharp, and soon 



