THE WORLD OF ICE. 153

the resemblance to humanity when distant, and its
colossal size does the same when near. Some of the
seals deserve this distinction more, their drooping
shoulders and oval faces being strikingly like to those
of man when at a distance. The white ivory tusks
of this creature were carefully measured by Fred, and
found to be thirty inches long,

The resemblance of the walrus to our domestic
land-animals has obtained for it, among sailors, the
names of the sea-horse and sea-cow; and the records
of its ferocity when attacked are numerous. Its hide
is nearly an inch thick, and is put to many useful
purposes by the Esquimaux, who live to a great extent
on the flesh of this creature. They cut up his hide
into long lines to attach to the harpoons with which
they catch himself, the said harpoons being pointed
with his own tusks. This tough hide is not the only
garment the walrus wears to protect him from the
cold. He also wears under-flannels of thick fat and
a top-coat of close hair, so that he can take a siesta
on an iceberg without the least inconvenience. Talk-
ing of siestas, by the way, the walrus is sometimes
“caught napping.” Oceasionally, when the weather
is intensely cold, the hole through which he crawls
upon the ice gets frozen over so solidly that, on wak-
ing, he finds it beyond even his enormous power to
break it. In this extremity there is no alternative
but to go to sleep again, and—die! which he does as
comfortably as he can. The Polar bears, however,
are quick to smell him out, and assembling round his