ii4 OLD WHALING DAYS. 



hopes of getting round it, but were disappointed, so had to 

 return on board, as night was coming on. 



Next morning the weather changed for the worse, and 

 came to blow and snow heavily. But it made no move- 

 ment in the ice. After blowing thirty-six hours, we were 

 fastened into a solid floe without any water to be seen from 

 the masthead. The brig before mentioned was nowhere in 

 sight when the weather cleared. We had evidently drifted 

 in different directions, but afterwards we found out it was 

 the Polar Star, belonging to Peterhead, which was among 

 the seals at the time when we first saw him. It was dis- 

 couraging for us to be, as the old saying is, " So near and 

 yet so far." 



We remained fast for six weeks. Every day, when the 

 weather permitted, all hands were sent away in different 

 directions in search of seals. Some days a few would be 

 brought on board, on others none. Bears were sometimes 

 numerous, but as their appetites were appeased by plenty of 

 food in the neighbourhood, they did not trouble us much. 

 Each officer carried a rifle to protect his boat's crew, if 

 required. Several narrow escapes were recorded. On one 

 occasion, a party consisting of eight men, with two rifles, 

 were imprisoned on a piece of ice for two hours by a 

 large bear. Their rifles had got wet, and would not go off. 

 Bruin walked round and round all the time, which appeared 

 an age to them. It was an unpleasant position for those 

 who were there, but laughable for those who were not. 

 The animal at last took a long look at them, apparently to 

 decide whether they would be tender eating, and probably 

 concluding that they would be too tough, he wended his 

 way to better pastures. 



Another time, two men and myself straggled some 

 distance from the others. We killed three seals, and were 

 dragging them to the ship, which was about five miles away. 

 On looking back, we saw two bears coming full gallop 



