Walrus of Pennant and most other naturalists.

On another occasion, two officers, in a boat belonging to the Racehorse,
having fired at and wounded one of these animals, it immediately dived,
and brought up a number of others; which all joined in an attack on the
boat, wresting an oar from one of the men, and were with difficulty
prevented from staving or oversetting the boat: but a boat from the
Carcass, guided by the intrepid young coxswain, soon arrived, and
effectually dispersed them.

This was on the 29th of July, near what they called the Low Island; of
which Dr. Irving, who went on the party to visit it, gives in substance
the following account. On the shore were several large fir-trees lying
sixteen or eighteen feet above the level of the sea: some of these trees
were seventy feet long, and had been torn up by the roots; others cut
down by the axe, and notched for twelve feet lengths. This timber was
not in the least decayed, nor the strokes of the axe at all defaced.
There were, likewise, some pipe-staves, and wood fashioned for use. The
bench was formed of old timber, sand, and whale-bones. The island, which
is flat, was found to be about seven miles long. It was formed chiefly
of stones from eighteen to thirty inches over, many of them hexagons,
and commodiously placed for walking on. The middle of the island was
covered with moss, scurvy-grass, sorrel, and a few ranunculuses then in
flower. Two reindeer were feeding on the moss: one of these they killed,
and found the venison to be fat and of high flavour. They saw a light
grey fox; and a spotted white and black animal, somewhat larger than the
weasel, with short ears, and a long tail. The island abounds with small
snipes, similar to the English jack-snipe. The ducks were hatching their
eggs, and many wild geese feeding by the water-side.