n the 5th it was necessary to pass through some heavy streams of
ice, in order to avoid the loss of time by going round to the
eastward. On this, as on many other occasions, the advantage
possessed by a ship of considerable weight in the water, in
separating the heavy masses of ice, was Very apparent. In some of
the streams through which the Hecla passed, a vessel of a hundred
tons less burden must have been immovably beset. The Griper was on
this and many other occasions only enabled to follow the Hecla by
taking advantage of the openings made by the latter.

A herd of seahorses being seen lying on a piece of ice, our boat
succeeded in killing one of them. These animals usually lie
huddled together like pigs, one over the other, and are so
stupidly tame as to allow a boat to approach them within a few
yards without moving. When at length they are disturbed, they dash
into the water in great confusion. It may be worth remarking, as a
proof how tenacious the walrus sometimes is of life, that the
animal killed to-day struggled violently for ten minutes after it
was struck, and towed the boat twenty or thirty yards, after which
the iron of the harpoon broke; and yet it was found, on
examination, that the iron barb had penetrated both auricles of
the heart. A quantity of the blubber was put into casks, as a
winter's supply of lamp-oil.

A large bear being seen on a piece of ice, near which we were
passing on the 10th, a boat was despatched in pursuit, and our
people succeeded in killing and towing it on board. As these
animals sink immediately on being mortally wounded, some dexterity
is requisite to secure them, by first throwing a rope over the
neck, at which many of the Greenland seamen are remarkably expert.
It is customary for the boats of the whalers to have two or three
lines coiled in them, which not only gives them great stability,
but, with good management, makes it difficult for a bear, when
swimming, to put his paw upon the gunwale, which they generally
endeavour to do; whereas, with our boats, which are more light and
crank, and therefore very easily heeled over, I have more than
once seen a bear on the point of taking possession of them. Great
caution should therefore be used under such circumstances in
attacking these ferocious creatures. We have always found a
boarding-pike the most useful weapon for this purpose. The lance
used by the whalers will not easily penetrate the skin, and a
musket-ball, except