50 THE WALRUS-HUNTERS. 



fatigue ; active and energetic while at sea, and 

 nearly always drunk while at home. So many 

 bad accidents have been caused by their having 

 brandy on board, that of late the owners have 

 supplied them with tea and coffee instead, and 

 it is found that men work quite as well, and 

 stand the climate quite as well, upon these as 

 upon spirits; but this enforced temperance 

 seems to cause a sort of reaction whenever 

 they get the opportunity of indulging to excess. 

 Of late years the merchants of Tromsoe and 

 Hammerfest, who fit out these vessels, have 

 adopted the sagacious system of paying their 

 crews by a share of the proceeds in lieu of 

 money wages, and this of course is a very great 

 stimulus to the men to work hard and to lose no 

 opportunity of killing every walrus and seal that 

 they possibly can. The usual system, I believe 

 to be as follows : The owners fit out and pro 

 vision the vessel, and advance to the men on 

 credit what money they require to buy clothing 

 and to provide necessaries for their families 

 during their absence : whatever the cargo 

 obtained may consist of, one-third of the gross 

 proceeds is then set apart for the crew, and 

 divided into shares, of which the captain gets 

 three, each harpooner two, and the other men 



