140 OLD WHALING DAYS. 



it foretells a storm. Only when coloured with thick 

 vapourous streaks. There is not a more splendid sight in 

 the heavens than a bright clear Aurora, or, as the 

 Shetlanders term it, the Merry Dancers. When an 

 echo resounds from a large rugged berg it invariably 

 foretells a fine north wind. I have also noticed when a 

 mist issues out of the clefts of the land, especially at Cape 

 Searle, which is much rented and cracked, it foretells a fog. 

 Those signs are not noticed now on account of the perfec- 

 tion of meteorological instruments. 



But to return to our voyage. Having got the blubber 

 made off, that is, put into the casks, we remained cruising 

 about for some time off Home Bay, and saw many fish, but 

 could not get near them on account of the bay ice, which 

 had begun to make in the smooth places. We now thought 

 of getting a supply of fresh water for the passage home, but 

 could not find a berg or floe with any water upon them. 

 Our only alternative was to obtain a supply of berg ice, 

 which is a tedious process, especially with a swell on, as a 

 boat cannot lie alongside. So the ice has to be chipped 

 off with lances, and then grappled ou tof the water by hand, 

 which is not a pleasant occupation when it is freezing keen. 

 It also gets a coating of salt, which makes it brackish 

 when melted. After getting some on board it had to be 

 broken up into small pieces and put into casks. 



At the present time all vessels are provided with tanks, 

 which saves much labour. With this supply I decided to 

 go to the eastward to see how the ice lay, as it had formed 

 into a solid body to the southward, and was closing fast in 

 that direction ; but seeing several fish inshore we reached 

 in with a fine breeze, and sent the boats away after them. 

 The wind died away, and the current set us into the bay ; 

 by morning we were frozen fast, with only one vessel in 

 sight. We tried to break our way into a lane of water by 

 milldolling, that is having a boat hung in a tackle from the 



