174 
ARCTIC WALRUS. 
In confusion, but frequently subject them to great 
danger. In the year 1766 some of the crew of a 
sloop which sailed to the North, to trade with the 
Esquimaux, were attacked in their boat by a great 
number of these animals ; and, notwithstanding 
their utmost endeavours to keep them off, one, more 
daring than the rest, though a small one, got in 
over the stern, and after sitting and looking at the 
men some time, he again plunged into the water 
to his companions. At that instant, another, of an 
enormous size, was getting in over the bow ; and 
every other means proving ineffectual to prevent 
such an unwelcome visit, the bowman took up a 
gun loaded with goose shot, put the muzzle into 
the animal's mouth, and shot him dead. He im- 
mediately sunk, and was followed by all his com- 
panions. 1 The people then made the best of their 
way to the vessel, and just arrived before the crea- 
tures were ready to make their second attack, 
which, in all probability, would have been in- 
finitely worse than the first, as they seemed high- 
ly enraged at the loss of their companion. 
The following* is captain Cook's description of 
a herd of walrusses, that were seen floating on a 
mass of ice off the northern part of the continent 
of America. “ They lie in herds of many hun- 
dreds upon the ice, huddling over one another 
like swine ; and roar or bray so very loud, that in 
the night, or in foggy weather, they gave us no- 
tice of the vicinity of the ice before we could 
see it. We never found the whole herd asleep, 
some being always upon the watch. These, on 
the approach of the boat, would wake those next 
to them ; and the alarm being thus gradually 
communicated, the whole herd would be awake 
presently. But they were seldom in a hurry to 
get away, till after they had been once fired at. 
They then would tumble over one another into the 
