WHALING AND BEAR-HUNTING 35 



have a spise-brod ready a table covered with hors-d'oeuvres 

 at which you can ruin the best appetite with all sorts of 

 tasty sandwiches, aquavit, liqueurs and beer till the Real 

 dinner is ready, say, of four substantial courses and many 

 wines, custards and sweets. Between times she will possibly 

 see her own children off to bed, probably alongside some of 

 the visitors' children ; then she will sing and play accompani- 

 ments on the piano, and join heartily in the general talk, 

 and later will serve a parting meal and a deoch-an-doris, 

 and walk a Scotch escort of a mile or two with the parting 

 guest as the morning sun begins to show. 



They seem very jolly though they are so busy. Everyone 

 on this island knows everyone else : they were all at 

 school together, as were their parents before them. Most 

 of the married people have a little farm. The wife looks 

 after this when the husband is at sea-whaling. The women 

 have the vote too ! They voted solid a year or two ago 

 for a neatly dressed, plausible young orator who came 

 round the island, and when their husbands came home 

 after the whaling season was over, found he was a Socialist ; 

 and if anyone's interests are damaged by the Socialist in 

 Norway, it is the whaler's. So the vote for some time was 

 not a favourite subject of conversation here when ladies 

 were present. I think the wealthiest family in Tonsberg, a 

 millionaire's household, runs to two maidservants. 



But this is dangerous ground ; let us upstick and board 

 the St Ebba. " Once on board the lugger " we cast off wire 

 hawsers, let on the compressed air with a clash in the 

 cylinders, then petrol, then crude oil, back her, stop her, 

 then motor ahead easily. 



The St Ebba's first journey ! We passed down between 

 Nottero and the mainland, rapidly passing the small motor 

 craft that seemed to be timing us, travelling at nine and 

 three quarter knots. She seems to go as quickly as our steam- 

 whaler the Haldane less " send " in calm water. . The 

 Haldane and her like pitch a little, St Ebba makes no turn 

 up behind to speak of at half speed, which is fast enough 

 for actual whaling. She seems particularly quick in turning, 

 and in a very small circle. 



