CHAPTER XVIII. 



GREENLAND AND ITS DIFFICULTIES RETURN TO SHET- 

 LAND-s-DAVIS'S STRAITS AND ITS TROUBLES DIFFER- 

 ENCE IN STEAMERS AND THEIR POWER MELVILLE BAY 



AGAIN LOOKING FOR WHALES FAREWELL TO THE 



LAND OF PERPETUAL ICE AND SNOW. 



THE following year, 1865, I went in the Diana of 

 Hull, as mate with Captain Gravill, to the seal 

 fishing at Greenland. This vessel was fitted with moderate 

 steam power, some iron tanks and many large casks holding 

 upwards of six hundred gallons each. There was a great 

 difference between this ship and the powerful steamers 

 belonging to Dundee. 



She had formerly belonged to Bremen, but was sold to 

 Hull, and strengthened for the Greenland trade, and had 

 been very successful on former voyages with Captain 

 Gravill. We left Hull with the crow's nest aloft, which 

 attracted much attention, and everything went favourably 

 with us until we got near Shetland, when we encountered a 

 very heavy gale from the north-west, which lasted two and 

 a half days. When it subsided, the little steam power we 

 had was very useful in making our course good, as we had 

 been blown some distance to leeward. At Lerwick we 

 shipped most of the men who had been with us before, as 

 they desired to follow the fortunes of their old master, well 

 knowing that if a successful voyage could possibly be made 

 we could accomplish it. We lay a few days as the 

 weather was very boisterous, and with the first favourable 

 wind, weighed anchor and sailed for the sealing grounds. 



