152 THE WORLD OF ICE.

his haste he darted the harpoon far over the animal's
head into the sea beyond. Neither need we feel sur-
prised that when Fred took aim at its forehead, the
sight of its broad muzzle fringed with a bristling
moustache, and defended by huge tusks, caused him
to miss it altogether. But O'Riley recovered, hauled
his harpoon hack, and succeeded in planting it deep
under the creature’s left flipper; and Fred, reloading,
lodged a ball in its head, which finished it. With
great labour the four men, aided by the dogs, drew it
out upon the ice.

This was a great prize, for walrus-flesh is not much
inferior to beef, and would be an acceptable addition
of fresh meat for the use of the Dolphin’s evew; and
there was no chance of it spoiling, for the frost was
now severe enough to freeze every animal solid almost
immediately after it was killed.

The body of this walrus was not less than eighteen
feet long and eleven in circumference. Jt was more
like an elephant in bulk and rotundity than any other
creature. It partook very much of the form of a
seal, having two large paw-like flippers, with which,
when struggling for life, it had more than once nearly
succeeded in getting upon the ice. Its upper face
had a square, bluff aspect, and its broad muzzle antl
cheeks were completely covered by a coarse, quill-like
beard of bristles, which gave to it a peculiarly fero-
cious appearance. The notion that the walrus re-
sembles man is very much overrated. The square,
bluff shape of the head already referred to destroys