OLD WHALING DAYS. 97 



they boldly charged us. I shot one, and killed the other 

 with a lance, as I had not time to reload. 



A few days later our boats were sent ashore on the south 

 side of Home Bay in search of whales. I was pulling 

 through a stream of ice, and saw two large bears asleep upon 

 a heavy piece, evidently having enjoyed a good meal off a 

 bladder-nose seal. One woke up, and plunged into the 

 water. We chased it, and the second mate, seeing us 

 pulling, followed us. When he saw the other bear lying on 

 the ice, he thought I had shot it, and prepared to take 

 it on board ; two men were going, to put a rope round its 

 neck, saying, " Get up, Jack," which order he at once obeyed, 

 to the dismay of the whole party; but, fortunately, the 

 second mate had his rifle at hand and shot it. I also killed 

 the other one. The ship gradually drifted further south, 

 until we reached Cape Searle, when six boats were sent 

 inshore in quest of whales, and to gain information from the 

 natives whether there were any in that neighbourhood. We 

 pulled into a snug harbour, about seven miles from the ship, 

 called Hangsman's Cove, so named from a native being 

 found hung by the neck from a perpendicular rock. 

 Whether he had committed suicide, or had been punished 

 by his own people, was never known. On landing where 

 the natives had encamped, a shocking sight presented 

 itself to us. There were several summer huts standing, but 

 the occupants were all dead ; but how they had come by 

 their death was a mystery. 



Some lay in their huts, others outside, numbering twenty 

 altogether. They were partly eaten, either by wild animals 

 or their own poor, starved dogs. We saw something high 

 up the hills, but from the distance could not tell whether 

 they were wolves or dogs. We did not stay long on shore, 

 but pulled towards the ship, and killed a walrus on our way, 

 and flensed it on a piece of ice. We did not see any 

 whales, so the following day sent our boats to a place called 



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