50 Chase of two Polars. iAngi.»», i864. 



so heavily on a hummock that her crew were in waiting to jump from 

 her. On the 16th, a gale springing up from the north and veering to 

 the northwest, forced the Monticello under close reef, splitting the 

 topsail, the sea sweeping the decks. 



During the intervals of fair weather the American whalers had 

 the pleasure of exchanging courteous visits with three of the ships be- 

 longing to the Hudson's Bay Company — the Prince of Wales, with 

 seventy-five passengers on board, the Prince Arthur, and the Ocean 

 Nymph. These vessels had left Stromness, in the Orkneys, on the 2d 

 of July. One of them had been within the straits six days. They 

 had all been sighted at a short distance to the westward the evening 

 before the visits, the opportunity for which was occasioned by the 

 dead calm which had detained them. 



Hall's voyage was not long without the excitement incident to the 

 sight and chase of the bear and the walrus. Walruses were seen at 

 some distance basking, as is their custom, on the ice. As the Monti- 

 cello passed near, they raised their ferocious heads to gaze a little while 

 at the ship, and then rolled over into the sea. 



The chase of several Polars was of more interest. One seen by 

 the crew of the Helen F., though at first close by, made a most respect- 

 ful distance before the guns could be loaded ; and, although swift 

 chase was given by the dingy, bruin gained a long piece of ice and 

 bounded off upon it beyond all possibility of capture, leaving on the 

 ice, parts of the seal on which he had been breakfasting. The Mon- 

 ticello was more fortunate, securing two large Polars on the same day. 

 Hall's journal of August 3 says that at 5 a. m. he was aroused from 

 sweet slumbers by the voice of Chester, who had come down from his 



