58 WHALES. 



had fallen, which, after being partially thawed on 

 the decks, was there solidly frozen — a result to 

 be expected with a temperature of 29° + • Land 

 was supposed to have been seen, in the direction 

 of Southampton Island ; but, in the absence of 

 good observations, no reliance was placed on 

 the report. Persevering in plying to windward, 

 amongst the heaviest drift ice I had ever be- 

 held, it was not without great difficulty, and at 

 a great sacrifice of distance, that the innume- 

 rable masses surrounding vis could be steered 

 clear of; nor was this always the case, since, in 

 spite of all our care, the ship would sometimes 

 drive on them with a concussion that made all 

 the bells ring, and almost threw those below from 

 their chairs. Two whales, the first seen since 

 our arrival in these latitudes, excited the curi- 

 osity of the novices, but did not produce among 

 the Greenland sailors the enthusiasm which I 

 remember to have observed with much pleasure 

 on a former occasion. At that time they ran 

 up the rigging, and followed every motion of the 

 whale with the most unequivocal symptoms of 

 delight ; and one of their number, unable to 

 contain his joy at seeing the monstrous creature 

 heave its bulk partly out of the water, cried out 

 in ecstasy, " There she goes, my boys, tail up 

 for Greenland." The next morning two other 

 whales were seen. 



The remainder of the day was employed in 



