242 ADVENTURES IN THE NORTHERN SEAS. 



of reindeer, and maybe white whales, in Ice Fiord ; 

 but as that part of the coast is clear of ice in the 

 autumn, we must bid good-by to the sea-horses for 

 this season. 



After some deliberation, we decided on adopting 

 the last-mentioned plan, and it seemed to give gen- 

 eral satisfaction to all concerned, including the 

 masters of the two schooners, who were resolved 

 to remain to the last, and therefore appeared to 

 think that our terrible rifles would be well out of 

 their way. . 



In an hour after making up our minds we had 

 got all our things out of the sloop, " liquored-up" 

 the crew of the latter, written a letter to our agents 

 in Hammerfest, got the boats stowed, the anchors 

 up, and made sail, we for South Cape, and the 

 "Anna Louisa" for Hammerfest. We still kept 

 Johann and Christian in the yacht to act as pilots 

 and harpooners. 



The "Anna Louisa" carried with her a man be- 

 longing to Hammerfest, who had been a harpooner 

 in Ericson's brig. Ericson had left him on board 

 the "Anna Louisa" at Hvalfiske Point, with a let- 

 ter for me, in which he expressed a hope that I 

 would give him a passage to Hammerfest, as it 

 would save the expense and delay of sending him 

 by steam-boat from Tonsberg, in the south of Nor- 

 way, to Hammerfest, in the extreme north. The 

 man thus luckily avoided a voyage of about 3000 

 miles. 



