18 ADVENTURES IN THE NORTHERN SEAS. 



geese, and to assist in the harpooning of one or two 

 walruses, in the boats of a sealing brig, which we 

 fell in with among the ice. I, however, saw enough 

 of Spitzbergen to convince me that wonderful sport, 

 and of a most original description, was to be ob- 

 tained there by any one who would go at the prop- 

 er season, with a suitably equipped vessel and prop- 

 er boats, manned by a crew of men accustomed to 

 the ice and to the pursuit of the walrus and the 

 seal. 



Although I have the honor to append the letters 

 F. G. S. to my name, I make no pretensions to the 

 character of a scientific geologist, but I was also 

 very much impressed with the interesting field 

 Spitzbergen affords to a votary of that noble sci- 

 ence, and particularly with the strong evidence to 

 be met with in support of the theory of the gradual 

 upheaval of the land in that remote part of the 

 world, and I was anxious to investigate farther 

 this interesting phenomenon. 



I perceived on this occasion that nothing could be 

 more utterly inapplicable for ice-navigation than a 

 long fore-and-aft rigged schooner yacht, as in thread- 

 ing the intricate mazes of the ice there was no pos- 

 sibility of stopping her "way" to avoid collisions, 

 as is done by backing the topsails of a square- 

 rigged vessel, and her frail flanking and thin cop- 

 per were exposed to constant destruction from the 

 ice. The dandified "ultramarine blue" painted gigs 

 were also totally unsuited for the rough work of 



