1903] A GREAT CAPTURE 161 



remained on, the fish would have sunk and we should have 

 seen nothing of it. 



Piecing together the facts of the capture, we came to see 

 how it had all happened, and the whole makes a curious story. 

 We found that the seal was a female with young, and had not 

 had food for a long time. In this condition it had attacked 

 the large fish, and evidently had had a tremendous tussle with 

 it. The seal must have been almost at the end of its diving 

 powers when it had dragged its struggling prey to the surface, 

 and at this point the harpoon must have transfixed both it and 

 the fish. Whether the seal had mutilated the head of the fish 

 we could not tell, but close to the tail and on the tail-fin of 

 the latter were found distinct wounds caused by the seal's 

 teeth. It shows the great swimming powers of the seal that it 

 should have been able to capture so powerful a victim. 



When we had safely got our big fish on board, a dreadful 

 fear arose that our biologist would demand its preservation in 

 spirit. I do not know whether it was the absence of the head 

 or his own appetite that prompted his decision on this 

 question, but to our relief he announced that as long as he 

 had the skeleton, the rest, after he had examined it, could go 

 to the cook. As we had no use for the skeleton, we were 

 perfectly contented with this arrangement, and on the follow- 

 ing day our fish provided the most sumptuous repast for our 

 whole company. It is difficult to say exactly what this fish 

 tasted like. Science would, I suppose, dismiss its qualities in 

 this respect by the single word ' edible,' and we, whilst we 

 could muster a good many adjectives to express our apprecia- 

 tion, found it difficult to liken it to anything we had previously 

 tasted. It had a firm, white flesh, and a most deliciously 

 delicate flavour, and that perhaps is all I can say of it. 



Not long after this great capture the ship was once more 

 busy with all the preparations for the coming sledging cam- 

 paign. Barne and Mulock were the first to get away, on 

 October 6. This was one of the two extended journeys of 

 which our complement would allow. In the advance party 

 with these two officers went the men who had accompanied 



VOL. II. M 



