vii 



and its various enemies, are thus inserted without 

 observation, the Editor having no knowledge per- 

 sonally of these conflicts ; not, indeed, that his own 

 negative experience can guide in forming a judg- 

 ment thereon, further than in indicating the pro- 

 bable fact, that such combats are vastly less frequent 

 in the Arctic regions, if they occur there at all, than 

 in the regions traversed by the southern and north- 

 western whalers. 



Whilst the Editor has taken much liberty with 

 the construction of the work, and occasionally with 

 its phraseology, he has been careful not to interfere 

 with the free, frank style, and lively spirit, of the 

 Author, either in the descriptions of what he per- 

 sonally witnessed, or in his interesting reflections 

 on the circumstances with which he was sur- 

 rounded. 



These explanations having been given both in 

 justice to the confiding Author, and for the guidance 

 of the public as to the real integrity of this London 

 edition of his work it only remains to the Editor 

 to commend this publication as embodying, he be- 

 lieves, a considerable quantity of novel incident and 

 curious information, which can hardly fail to inter- 

 est the youthful, and, he hopes, the general reader ; 

 and as having interwoven, (to adopt a hope expressed 



