After a long and tedious interval of misty, dripping weather, we obtained
sufficient sun at noon, to find ourselves in latitude 72.19; but a
discovery that afforded me most pleasure was the appearance of a sea-horse,
lying at some distance from us, on an elevated piece of ice. This animal
was first perceived by the captain, from the mast-head, whence he
immediately descended, and ordered a boat to be lowered, inviting William
and myself to join him in trying to make the monster our prey. When we drew
near to its station, it raised its head and displayed one formidable tusk,
projecting downwards from its upper jaw towards its breast, whilst part of
another, broken by some accident or encounter, offered a less menacing
weapon to our view. The beast itself was about the size of a large bullock,
and lay upon the ice like a huge mass of animated matter, which seemed to
possess no means of locomotion. Its head was disproportionably small to the
size of its body, judged according to our usual ideas of the relative
difference of bulk between these parts, while its whiskers were evidently
larger and stronger than those of any other animal. These singularities
gave it a grotesque appearance, not lessened by an approximation in its
square short countenance to a caricatured resemblance of the human face,
while the half stolid half ferocious stare, with which it regarded us,
contributed to render it one of the most strange beings of earthly mould on
which I had ever set my eyes.
While I was making these observations, we were rapidly advancing towards
the object of them, which, seemingly in doubt whether to take our visit in
enmity or friendship, continued to gaze at our approach as it lay (standing
not being one of its faculties) at its full height upon a block of ice,
about eight feet above the surface of the sea. It must have climbed this
elevation by crawling up one side of the frozen mass, which was shelving
and easy of access, by means of its tusks and flippers; but, whatever was
its way of mounting the acclivity, it quickly showed us how it managed to
descend; for, upon a couple of bullets passing through its neck, it gave
itself a heave backward, rolled overhead and heels down the slope of the
hummock, and was launched violently into the water by the precipitate rush
of its heavy body. No sooner did it find itself in its most natural
element, than it prepared to dive; but this manoeuvre had been foreseen,
and the stern of the boat was on its back at the moment it was about to
disappear, and the captain exerting all his force, after striking the
weapon with a sudden plunge against its tough hide, drove the harpoon
through its skin, and allowed it to make its vain attempt at escape. It
then dived and took out several fathoms of line like a whale, but it soon
rose to the surface, and reared its frightful head and shoulders above the
waves, with the most threatening aspect of deadly warfare. Evidently eager
to revenge itself upon its enemies, the morse began to take hasty strokes
towards us, yet in a state of hurry and confusion which impressed us with a
belief that the balls had inflicted desperate, if not immediately mortal
wounds. Nevertheless, it displayed determination enough to enter into close
conflict with its foes, and came on, puffing and snorting, with a savage
though bewildered look. Seeing this disposition to assail us, we backed
astern; but before the walrus had made much progress, the guns were
reloaded, and another bullet struck it on the head, which sent it down
immediately; however, it quickly appeared again, raising itself high above
the water, and looking furiously around for its antagonists. When it
perceived our position, it resumed its endeavour to attack us; but during
its approach it stopped short, infirm of purpose, probably exhausted with
loss of blood, or growing giddy from the shock of the last ball, and
allowed us time to discharge a musket once more, and with fatal effect; its
head dropped suddenly upon the water, and we pulled up and took it in tow.
When we had hoisted it on board, a proceeding that required pretty strong
tackle and several hands, it was flayed, yielding a hide of extraordinary
thickness, lined on the inside with blubber, and scantily covered
externally with short reddish brown hair, the greatest part of its skin
appearing to have been denuded of this clothing by eruptive blotches, such
as I presume disfigure a measly hog. Although incomparably larger, the
general contour of its body resembled the figure of a seal; its frame being
of the same description, though differently moulded. It was considerably
more bulky in proportion to its length, its chest and back more elevated,
its fore flippers thicker and more rounded, and its hind quarters less
tapering to the tail. Altogether, it impressed upon the mind a strong idea
of a formidable monster, in spite of its relatively diminutive head; for
its fearful tusks, and thick-set projecting whiskers, gave its visage a
most truculent expression; and with its grotesquely fashioned ponderous
carcass, provided with fin feet of strange formation, seemed to mark it as
a personification of one of the fabulous conceptions of mythology.
The morse is said to roar or bellow loudly, but the animal we slew made no
outcry, for the half sneezing, half snorting sounds it uttered I conceive
to have been the consequence of its hasty dive, which had apparently
prevented its taking in sufficient breath, and occasioned it to admit some
water down its windpipe. Nevertheless, the immense size of its larynx or
thropple, which William dissected out and brought with him to England,
seems to indicate vast powers of voice in this animal; but I am at a loss
to conjecture why it should be provided either with this unusual capability
of "blaring," or with the exceedingly strong whiskers that arm its muzzle,
organs which, though nominally of little or no importance except in
Bond-street, must really be of consequence to the walrus, since their roots
are imbedded in two thick cushions of tough blubbery substance, so large as
to give a marked character to the countenance, and evidently pointing out
the growth and nourishment of these whiskers as a matter of some
consideration in the eye of nature.
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