Voyage through the Kara Sea. 195 



ice surface. They were lying crowded together on a 

 floe a little to landward from us, blue mountains Hitter- 



o 



ing behind them in the sun. At last the harpoons were 

 sharpened, guns and cartridges ready, and Henriksen, 

 Juell and I set off. There seemed to be a slight breeze 

 from the south, so we rowed to the north side of the floe, 

 to get to leeward of the animals. From time to time 

 their sentry raised his head, but apparently did not see 

 us. \Ve advanced slowly, and soon were so near that 

 we had to row very cautiously. Juell kept us going, while 

 Henriksen was ready in the bow with a harpoon, and I 

 behind him with a gun. The moment the sentry raised his 

 head the oars stopped, and we stood motionless ; when 

 he sunk it again, a few more strokes brought us nearer. 



Body to body they lay close-packed on a small floe, 

 old and young ones mixed. Enormous masses of flesh 

 they were! Now and again one of the ladies fanned 

 herself by moving one of her flappers backwards and 

 forwards over her body ; then she lay quiet again on her 

 back or side. ''Good gracious! what a lot of meat ! " 

 said Juell, who was cook. More and more cautiously 

 we drew near. Whilst I sat ready \vith the gun, 

 Henriksen took a good grip of the harpoon shaft, and as 

 the boat touched the floe he rose, and off flew the har- 

 poon. But it struck too high, glanced off the tough hide, 

 and skipped over the backs of the animals. Now there 

 was a pretty to do ! Ten or twelve great weird faces 

 glared upon us at once; the colossal creatures twisted 



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