OLD WHALING DAYS. 65 



Sound ice. Old hands say this kind of ice only breaks up 

 once in seven years. It generally drives down the middle 

 of the Straits, and comes from Lancaster and Jones' Sounds. 

 Coming further south, we sighted a vessel in the ice a little 

 south of Cape Dyer. At first we thought it was one of our 

 unfortunate friends who was beset. Later on we heard it 

 was the Resolute, belonging to Sir Ed. Belcher's expedition, 

 which was afterwards picked up by Captain Buddington, an 

 American whaler, who was trying to get into Cumberland 

 Gulf. We cruised about in all directions hoping to find 

 whales, but there was no prospect of getting to the west 

 side this year, and the weather becoming boisterous we bore 

 up for home in the first week of October, and after a long 

 passage arrived at Lerwick. One of the boatsteerers 

 belonging to that place had been laid in his hammock for 

 six weeks with a broken thigh. None of us knew what was 

 really the matter, as we did not carry a doctor. We had 

 rubbed it with linament, thinking it was a flesh rent, but the 

 bone united falsely, and was obliged to be broken again 

 when he landed. The poor fellow was a cripple for the 

 remainder of his days. 



Our arrival in the Humber recalled to mind many stories 

 told to me by old men respecting the press-gang during the 

 war with Napoleon, some of which I will relate. In those 

 troublesome times, harpooners, boatsteerers, and line 

 managers were exempt from being pressed if they could get 

 to the Custom House and receive their protection tickets, 

 as they were called. Many a ruse was enacted to reach that 

 place. One vessel on arrival at Hull was waited upon by the 

 press-gang. The captain, whose name was Sadler, ordered 

 his men to arm themselves with the sharp and dangerous 

 weapons which are used in flensing whales, and marched 

 them to the Custom House to receive their protection 

 tickets, thereby enabling them to go safely home to their 

 friends. On another occasion the press-gang attempted to 



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