256 CRUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 



heavy pack upon which the seals are found in March and April 

 off the shores of Newfoundland. 



The whaling grounds of Hudson bay have been confined to 

 the north side of Hudson strait and to the northwestern part of 

 the bay. The great island of Southampton lies in the north 

 part of the bay and divides it into two unequal portions. The 

 eastern or Fox channel is by far the larger, extending north- 

 ward from latitude 64 to latitude 70, and exceeds 200 miles 

 in width. The western, or Roes Welcome, is much smaller ; its 

 length from Cape Fullerton to the head of Repulse bay is 150 

 miles, while it rarely exceeds 40 miles across. 



In the early days of the Hudson bay fishery, whales were 

 plentiful as far south as Marble island, and from there north- 

 ward to Repulse bay. Of late years few whales have been taken 

 in these southern waters, and the whalers now confine them- 

 selves to the southern shores of Southampton and the waters of 

 Roes Welcome. 



The northern and eastern parts of Fox channel are still 

 unexplored, and owing to the large masses of ice found there 

 continuously, and to the numerous shoals and reefs in the 

 known parts, it has never been a favourite place for whalers, its 

 waters being the only portion of the bay where the whales have 

 been left undisturbed. 



The favourite resort for whales both in Baffin and Hudson 

 bays is along the edge of the ice still fast to the shore, with an 

 abundance of loose ice outside. When the shore ice is all melted 

 or loosened they prefer to remain about the edge of the large 

 masses of floating ice. This habit of remaining close to the ice- 

 masses appears to be due to two causes food and protection. 

 The whale is a very timid animal, and is easily frightened by 

 anything out of the ordinary; it then either takes to the 

 protection of the tightly packed ice, or leaves for distant parts. 

 The food of the whale consists of small crustaceans (called sea- 



