6 OLD WHALING DAYS. 



small canoe and some tobacco pouches for friends at home. 

 We stayed at Goodhavn about one hour, and cruised in the 

 neighbourhood until next day. We fastened to another 

 whale, and whilst in the act of killing her, we clued up the 

 topgallant sails, on purpose to make fast to an iceberg, so 

 that we might be able to flense comfortably. I was on the 

 main topgallant yard, helping to stow the sail, when the 

 captain sang out to us to hold fast. Casting my eyes 

 below I saw the whale under water, coming towards the 

 ship's broadside. She was beautifully distinct, and slow in 

 motion. She slightly touched the vessel, yet the concussion 

 made her tremble as though we had struck a heavy piece of 

 ice. We soon got the whale killed and flensed, and the 

 next day fell in with nearly all the ships from Dundee, 

 Kirkcaldy, Aberdeen, and other ports. On the east side we 

 had killed five whales, in all about seventy-five tons. We 

 proceeded in company with the fleet towards that much 

 dreaded Melville Bay, and reached there after a deal of 

 labour in towing and tracking along the fields of ice, and 

 amongst islands and rocks. When we reached the Duck 

 Islands, and entered the Bay, our troubles began in earnest. 

 We had to track and tow, and saw docks, and we succeeded 

 after four weeks' trouble, but three vessels belonging to the 

 fleet were lost in approaching to the north water, off Cape 

 Dudley Digges. The vlast neck of ice closed upon us, and 

 there we lay beset two jfeys. The Esquimaux came off to 

 us in their sledges. TH^f were dressed in bear skins, and 

 were very wild. The wind changing, we were liberated, 

 and got into clear water, but a dense fog came on, and, 

 knowing we were not far from land, all precautions were 

 used. The wind was in such a direction we dare not 

 dodge, but were forced to carry canvas, and risk all for fear 

 of being jammed between the ice and the land. In the 

 act of staying the ship we struck upon a high pinnacle 

 island, called Conical Island, or Dalrymple Rock. All 



