“Whereabouts is he?” cried O’Riley, as he came panting to the scene of action.

As he spoke the walrus ascended almost under his nose, with a loud bellow, and the Irishman started back in terror, as he surveyed at close quarters, for the first time, the colossal and horrible countenance of this elephant of the Northern Seas.  O’Riley was no coward, but the suddenness of the apparition was too much for him, and we need not wonder that in his haste he darted the harpoon far over the animal’s head into the sea beyond.  Neither need we feel surprised 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 back, 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 crew; 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.  It 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 and cheeks were completely covered by a coarse, quill-like beard of bristles, which gave to it a peculiarly ferocious appearance.  The notion that the walrus resembles man is very much overrated.  The square, bluff shape of the head already referred to destroys the resemblance to humanity when distant, and its colossal size does the same when near.  Spine 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