OLD WHALING DAYS. 119 



had taken charge of the body, and were very reluctant 

 to relinquish it. Before we arrived they had shot thirty-two. 

 There must have been over a hundred on the floe when we 

 came up with our boats. We shot four in the water, and 

 many lay sleeping further away, evidently having had a 

 good meal. These animals disputed the prize. They 

 stood upon it and swam round it in defiance for two hours. 

 Bears are keen-scented animals, and no doubt had scented 

 the dead whale many miles off, which must have been the case 

 to attract such a number to one place. Very little blubber 

 was on the carcase ; sharks had eaten all below the water, 

 and the bears all above. The whalebone was taken out, and 

 the body again left for the benefit of the sharks and bears. 

 A few days later our vessel was made fast to the land floe, 

 and I went away with my boat and crew to shoot birds. 

 We were also prepared if a whale or narwhal (sea unicorn) 

 came in our way. As we were pulling close to the floe, 

 which was six feet above the water edge, a large finner rose 

 close to us. I drew the harpoon and wad out of the 

 gun, and replaced them with a bomb lance. These lances 

 were of very recent date, and had only been in use about a 

 year. Not having tried one before, I thought this was a 

 good opportunity to prove the efficiency of them. The 

 finner, which was about one hundred feet long, was only 

 fifty feet from us, and formed a barrier between us and the 

 outside. I did not think of our position, being too intent 

 in trying what effect the bomb lance would produce. We 

 were so well situated that I could choose to strike it in any 

 part of the body, so took aim behind the left fin and fired. 

 I then perceived our critical position. If it had rolled 

 towards us instead of from us we should have been crushed, 

 as there were no means of escaping on the ice. Immediately 

 the bomb entered the body the animal appeared paralyzed, 

 and in a few seconds the bomb exploded, and we felt the 

 vibration. Then the body appeared to expand, and rolled 



