OLD WHALING DAYS. 113 



used our utmost endeavours. We hailed several ships, but 

 none carried a medical man, all being foreigners. The 

 doctor had been ailing a few days, but had not complained, 

 and we could not account for his sudden illness. About 

 ten p.m. we were summoned by the man attending to him, 

 when we saw a great change had taken place. He had not 

 spoken since breakfast. I took hold of his hand, when he 

 gave one sad look, and quietly passed away. As may be 

 imagined, our breakfast next morning was taken in silence. 

 One whom we all respected lay lifeless alongside the cabin 

 table. 



About eleven a.m. we met with a Scotch brig, and asked 

 their doctor to come on board to see the corpse, and give 

 his opinion of the cause of death, which he did, and made 

 out a certificate accordingly. The body was carried, on 

 deck, and in a very short time it was frozen like a marble 

 statue. A coffin was made, in which the body was placed 

 and packed with sawdust. In this manner we kept it on 

 board four and a half months, and buried him in .the 

 churchyard at Lerwick. 



After the doctor's death, we cruised about among streams 

 of ice, but found no traces of the seals. The time was 

 fast approaching when the young seals would take the water 

 and provide for themselves. One fine day the main pack 

 opened, and we thought that the body of seals was in the 

 vicinity, so we set all canvas, and bored into it. We saw 

 several upon the ice to the westward, and were delighted at 

 the prospect. But before midnight the pack closed, and 

 the vessel was immovable. The following morning, from 

 the masthead, a brig was seen further inside, apparently 

 sealing. We called all hands, and travelled in that 

 direction. But when about five miles from the ship, we 

 were disheartened to find our way cut off by a lane of 

 water, about a ship's length wide, extending north and 

 south. We walked a long distance to the northward, in 



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