as connected with the late Disasters in Baffin'' s Bay. 137 



In the history of the whale-fishery, there are mentioned three 

 different quarters in and adjoining Baffin^s Bay, which are 

 visited for the capture of whales, The^r^^ of these lies along 

 the east side of the bay, extending from the entrance of Davis' 

 Straits northward by Disco, to about the 73d parallel of lati- 

 tude. The southern half of this tract is generally open early 

 in the season ; whilst its more northern extremity is seldom navi- 

 gable till late in July, and is even then very hazardous. It was 

 in former years numerously frequented by whales, but is now 

 entirely deserted by them. The second station, usually called 

 the " South-west Fishing-ground, ""' lies along the coast of Lab- 

 rador, and about the entrance of Hudson's Straits. Though 

 this, from its position, is accessible at all times, yet the whale- 

 fishery is prosecuted there under many disadvantages, and not 

 a few dangers ; for not only have the whales become very scarce, 

 but they are to be seen only , in. spring, when the weather is ex- 

 tremely cold, and the nighWJpr^ dntd:-<lark, and are to be pur- 

 sued occasionally among hettt|fr-#^fed lumps of ice, exposed to 

 all the fury of the waves -J^refiii'^ie 'Atlantic. This station was 

 the chief source whence bliibber was/derived this season. Fisher- 

 men, however, seldom do more than call at this quarter on their 

 way northward. Indeed, during the present season, some of 

 our most enterprising fishermen considered such a visit as a 

 waste of time, and, on doubling Cape Farewell, took their course 

 directly northward. From the scarcity of " fish''' on the coast 

 of Labrador, and the absence of them along the eastern shores 

 of Baffin's Bay, whale-hunters are now constrained to seek their 

 prey in higher latitudes, pursuing it even to the regions adjoin- 

 ing Lancaster Sound, which is the third station we have to no- 

 tice. Whales are found there in great abundance, but they are 

 yearly becoming more scarce, and much more shy than when 

 first fished. Though this station was discovered by Baffin up- 

 wards of 200 years ago, it did not become famous for its whales 

 till 1817, when Mr Muirhead, master of the Larkins of Bor- 

 rowstounness, penetrated these unfrequented regions. Encour- 

 aged by a " clean ship" and a navigable sea, he sailed north- 

 ward, at what, in those days, was considered a late season, — the 

 beginning of August, much to the terror of the crew, who, 

 nevertheless, filled the ship with blubber in ten days ! In the 



