OLD WHALING DAYS. 173 



clear. The ice was as level as a bowling green, not a ridge 

 or hummock to be seen, but a dense fog set in and spoilt 

 our intended walk. The whole time we were here, only 

 one whale was seen, and it was going northward like a 

 racehorse. This was a most notable year, as the 

 whole place was nearly void of life. Narwhals, seals, and 

 birds were very scarce. 



We shot twenty-two bears and brought two home alive, 

 which were exhibited in the Greenland Yard, at Dundee, 

 for the benefit of the Infirmary. The bears were very 

 cunning, and we had to be cautious, as most of them were 

 shot upon the ice. 



On one occasion, I had severely wounded one through 

 the neck, being a long distance from it ; but it escaped, as 

 it could run faster than us. We watched it from the mast- 

 head for three hours, then it returned towards the ship. 

 Four men went to meet it, and one got close to and 

 pulled the trigger of his rifle, but it would not go off, owing 

 to it being at half-cock, which in the hurry he had over- 

 looked. The animal was about to seize him when one of 

 the harpooners shot it through the head. 



Another time one came leisurely towards the ship, when 

 we were made fast to the floe, and three of us formed our- 

 selves in a triangle and walked towards the animal. When 

 about a ship's length off it stopped, and we all fired at the 

 same time. Feeling sure we had killed it, imagine our 

 surprise to see it walk towards the man at the apex of the 

 angle. There was not time to reload properly, powder was 

 put in at random and the ball rammed on it without a wad. 

 It was only twenty feet from him, when the man opposite 

 me shot it through the body, which made it fall, and the 

 next bullet finished its career. It was fortunate we were 

 placed in such a position, as there was not so much danger 

 of shooting each other. 



This incident taught us a lesson to keep one gun in 



