DETERMINE TO GO AGAIN. 19 



pushing in among the ice in pursuit of the seal and 

 the walrus; indeed, it was very fortunate for us 

 that we did not succeed in harpooning one of the 

 latter mighty amphibia? from the yacht's boats, for 

 my subsequent experience of the strength and fe- 

 rocity of these animals leads me to believe that he 

 would infallibly have pulled us all to the bottom 

 of the sea. 



In the spring of 1859, therefore, I made up my 

 mind to have another trip to Spitzbergen, and to 

 go about it in a more systematic way ; so, early in 

 the season, I wrote to a gentleman in Hammerfest, 

 who had been good enough to accompany me on 

 my previous trip as an amateur pilot, requesting 

 him to hire for me a small, stout "jagt,"* suitably 

 planked, and provided with a square topsail and 

 every thing requisite for a summer's campaign 

 against the ferae naturae of the arctic regions ; and 

 including casks to stow their blubber in, as I ex- 

 pected to be reimbursed for at least a part of the 

 heavy outlay these preparations entailed by the 

 proceeds of skins and oil. I also ordered two suit- 

 able whale- (or rather walrus-) boats to be construct- 

 ed in Hammerfest, of a size slightly larger than 

 those commonly used, so as to admit of an amateur 

 sitting comfortably in the stern without his having 

 necessarily to act as one of the boat's crew ; and, 

 finally, I desired my agent to engage two skillful 



* A small sloop without a topmast, a rig very general 

 among the Scandinavian coasters. 



