HALF-MOON ISLAND. 199 



CHAP. XIII. 



Whales Bones. B-apid Elevation of the Land. Early 

 Whale-fishery. Shallowing of the Sea. Trench ploughed 

 by an Iceberg. Last Day at the Sea-horses. Successful 

 Stalk and double Shot. Lose two Harpoons. Very bad 

 Luck Difficulty of shooting Walruses. Grale. Wrecks 

 in Spitzbergen. Insurance. Kill a White Whale. 

 Description of the same. Sail to the Rendezvous. 



AFTER this long digression about the North 

 Pole, I resume the narrative of our own pro 

 ceedings. 



Early in the morning of the 18th we had 

 got back to Black Point, having been turned 

 out of bed at midnight and at 4 A.M. to polish 

 off seals which came in sight. 



At eight o clock we started in both boats 

 and proceeded, Lord David to Halmanne (or 

 Halfmoon) Island, and myself to a cluster 

 of rocky islands lying four or five miles 

 E. S. E. of Black Point ; we did not expect to 

 do much good in the way of sport, so we both 

 agreed to bring back boatloads of firewood 

 from our respective islands if we should get 



