OLD WHALING DAYS. 181 



A light breeze came at last which cleared the fog away, 

 and we were soon fast to a fine, large whale, which was 

 speedily killed by using the bomb lance. In a short time 

 we had four more killed, and then began to flense. By the 

 time we had finished the wind increased, which broke up 

 the floes, and formed them into a pack. If we had been 

 here four or five days sooner we should have killed as many 

 as the ship would hold, but the Diana with her small steam 

 power could not possibly have forced her way through the 

 floe in the Waigat Straits. . 



The strong breeze blowing on the pack caused a nasty 

 sea at the ice edge, where we saw many whales disporting 

 themselves as though they knew we could not approach 

 them. We lowered the boats several times, but there was 

 too much wind and sea to contend against, and we were 

 glad to be on board again. If we had fastened to any we 

 might have lost the boat and lines, as the fish would be 

 certain to go under the ice. It was a hundred to one 

 against their keeping in the open water, when they were 

 struck, as they generally take the pack where the boats 

 cannot follow, especially when the wind is on it. 



The breeze moderated, but the whales had disappeared. 

 During the time we were killing ours, one of the Dundee 

 steamers came up and also got four. The fishery off Disco 

 was a failure this year, but I feel confident there had been 

 many whales in this neighbourhood on account of there 

 being so much open water. Directly any water makes its 

 appearance in Omenak Fiord, commonly called North-East 

 Bay, the whales are seen there, and at other times in the 

 offing, according to the state of the ice. 



We cruised about two or three days, without seeing 

 any, and then proceeded north with light variable winds, 

 until we reached Sanderson's Hope, and then steamed 

 among the Vrow Islands until we came to Horse Head 

 Island, and made fast to the land floe on the south side of 



