20 ADVENTURES IN THE NORTHERN SEAS. 



harpooners, and men enough to man the boats 

 and navigate the "jagt" — English sailors being al- 

 most as useless as the boats for this description of 

 work. 



On mentioning my projected expedition to a 

 friend, renowned as a sportsman with the rifle and 

 the spear on the plains of India, and telling him 

 of the sport I expected among the icebergs of the 

 North, he at once agreed to join me, and entered 

 with heart and purse into the arrangements ; and 

 here let me state that, during ten years I have spent 

 in traveling in different parts of the world, I have 

 never fallen in with a pleasanter and more useful 

 companion, or a keener and a braver sportsman, 

 than Lord David Kennedy. 



When we were nearly ready to start, and I was 

 superintending the outfitting of my yacht at South- 

 ampton, I was most unexpectedly requested by the 

 Liberal party of a Scottish county to become their 

 candidate in the general election about to take 

 place ; so, deeming it my duty to sacrifice my 

 amusement to my country's good, I stayed the 

 preparations for sea, and for the ten following days 

 I was engaged in all the excitement of an electoral 

 contest. The result, by a very narrow majority, 

 proved unfortunate for the walruses, although per- 

 haps the cynical reader may be disposed to add, 

 "fortunate for the constituency, 11 and I was once 

 more at liberty to proceed on my intended voyage. 



After a visit to Guernsey for the purpose of 



