172 OLD WHALING DAYS. 



followed with 3,500 seals. At tide time we entered the 

 dock, and the following day began to discharge our cargo, 

 which took us nearly three weeks. Having taken in coal 

 and other necessaries, we once more started for the northern 

 part of Greenland upon a whaling expedition. 



We called at Lerwick and shipped the same men, and 

 once more fell in with the ice north of Jan Mayen's 

 Island ; then steamed to the westward among very heavy 

 pieces towards the Liverpool coast, and came to the land 

 floe, which extended about twenty or twenty-five miles from 

 the land. This ice was very heavy indeed, and appeared to 

 be several years old. There were a few small icebergs frozen 

 in the floe far inshore. 



The scarcity of bergs in Greenland plainly shows that 

 there are not many large glaciers. When sealing we saw 

 none. 



We steamed along the floe edge when it was possible, and 

 once sighted the Pendalum Islands. The floe, and large 

 pieces which had broken from it, were nearly of a uniform 

 thickness of twenty-one feet. The snow upon it was about 

 four feet thick and very solid ; therefore, when we made fast, 

 we had to carry the ice anchors nearly a warp's length from 

 the ship, whereas if the surface had been solid ice instead of 

 snow, one-third of that distance would have sufficed. 



We had to be careful how we touched this thick ice with 

 the ship, as it would not in the least give way to a blow, 

 and had also to be very watchful lest a sconce piece should 

 drive on us, especially in foggy weather, which was the case 

 six days out of seven. Although at times the sun shone 

 brightly overhead in a clear sky, the constant fog was very 

 discouraging, as the ice was so favourably situated for 

 whaling. 



Off the island of Bontekoe, which is a very good 

 fishing ground, the floe only extended seven miles ; a party 

 proposed to travel to it one day when the weather was 



