84 OLD WHALING DAYS. 



found fault because I had made a hole in the skin. He 

 said I ought to have shot it through the brain at first. 

 Evidently he did not consider my skin. He was an excellent 

 marksman himself, and expected me to be the same, yet 

 under the circumstances I considered I had done very well. 

 However, we who were brought up to Arctic life at the period 

 of which I am writing, gain experience as we grow older not 

 to act foolhardily. At the same time I think youths ought 

 not to be checked in showing their pluck in times of danger. 

 It is better to let them gain self-confidence and self-reliance. 

 For two weeks longer we were tightly jammed up without 

 any prospect of being liberated, and some of the men began 

 to get disconsolate. Our boatswain's work was all done. 

 The old rope was made into gaskets, foxes, spunyarn, etc. 

 Our three suits of sails were middle stiched, rigging in go 

 order, and there was very little more to occupy the me' 

 We therefore renewed our travels with the sledges in order 

 to drive dull care away. I must confess that the times were 

 not lively, but our position could not be avoided, and we 

 dare not use our ice saws for fear of weakening the point of 

 ice which sheltered us. The southern ships had all dis- 

 appeared save one, which we hoped was the Isabel, a small 

 screw steamer, brigantine rigged, which had formerly been 

 on discovery, and had now come out to be a tender to tow 

 us in calm weather. It was Captain Parker's intention, if 

 not successful north, to seek for whales in the neighbour- 

 hood of York Bay or Frozen Straits, in Fox Channel. For 

 three days we had calm weather ; the sun shone brilliantly, 

 yet we could not shake off the depression of spirits until a 

 crack in the ice made its appearance. Then all was bustle 

 and excitement getting provisions, etc., on board, and 

 preparing for the first slack to liberate us. Our ship was 

 ice bound, and it took some time to get the ice off the 

 ship's bottom, which we did by taking a line from the 

 topmast head, and part of the crew took a run upon the ice 



