OLD WHALING DAYS. 3 



was a voyage of eight months to look forward to, and I felt 

 very great pain in parting from my friends for that long 

 time. Amid these melancholy reflections I fell asleep, and 

 did not wake again until I was called up at six the next 

 morning by the second mate, a good but rough old man, 

 and set to clean the cabin, and polish an old-fashioned 

 brass stove. Breakfast was to be ready by eight o'clock, 

 and with the assistance of the cook all was prepared. It 

 was a great change from home comforts, but my usefulness 

 in doing odd jobs for my mother came in handy, and it did 

 not make me feel so awkward as many boys who go to sea. 

 It began to blow a gale of wind, and it made me feel very 

 ill. Sympathy there was none. I had to rough it out, and 

 it was not long before I became thoroughly well seasoned. 

 In a few days we got into Vidlon Voe, on the N.E. coast of 

 the Shetland Islands, and brought up in a safe and good 

 harbour. The captain went overland to Lerwick, to ship 

 the remainder of the crew, which was to form our comple- 

 ment of forty-five men. We carried seven boats for the 

 whaling trade. We stayed at Vidlon Voe about a week, 

 and took- in the other portion of our crew. The wind 

 became fair and we got under weigh and sailed for the 

 Straits. The anchors were stowed, boats' crews chosen, 

 and the watch set, and by night we were in the open 

 Atlantic. 



For three weeks nothing eventful came under my 

 observation. At the end of that time we sighted the 

 wonderful icefields of the Arctic Zone, ana met with many 

 icebergs. Words fail me to describe the resplendent and 

 magnificent views which were opened out to me for the 

 first time in my life, and I did not neglect any opportunity 

 of coming on deck to look at many most beautiful but 

 dangerous icebergs. All hands were now ordered to prepare 

 the boats for catching whales, or anything else which would 

 produce oil. The day was very beautiful, and the 



