W A L RUS, 
gulph of St. Laurence , as I am informed, is thus : 
The Hunters watch their landing, and as foon as Chace 
they find a fuificient number for what they call a 
cut , go on fhore, each armed with a fpear fharp on 
one fide like a knife, with which they cut their 
throats: great care muft be taken not to Hand in 
the way of thofe which attempt to fget again to 
fea, which they do with great agility by tumbling 
headlong •, for they would crufh any body to death 
by their vail weight. They are killed for the fake 
of their oil, one IValrus producing about half a tun. 
The knowlege of this chace is of great antiquity; 
Off her, the Norwegian , about the year 890, made a 
report of it to King Alfred , having, as he fays, made 
the voyage beyond Norway , for the more commoditie 
of fifhing of horfe-whales, which have in their teeth 
hones of great price and excellencies whereof he brought 
fome at his returne unto the King *. In fa6t, it was, 
in the northern world, in early times, the fubftitute 
to ivory, being very white and very hard. Their 
Ikins, Offher fays, were good to cut into cables. I 
do not know whether we make any ufes of the 
Ikin ^ but M. de 'Buffon fays, he has feen braces for 
coaches made of it, which were both llrong and 
elaftic. 
T hey bring one, or at mod two young f at a 
time: feed on fea herbs and fifh *, alfo on fhells, 
which they dig out of the fand with their teeth : are 
faid alfo to make ufe of their teeth to afcend rocks 
or pieces of ice, fattening them to the cracks, and 
* Hakluyt's coll Voy . I. 
Z 
t Barents voy, 4. 
drawing 
