36 WHALING AND BEAR-HUNTING 



We had charts out all the morning planning our southern 

 route, possibly to the Crozets, possibly the Seychelles or the 

 Antipodes. We have information about whaling in these 

 waters ; I wrote our directors about the possibility of running 

 a shore station with St Ebba, and painted the St Ebba flag. 



Then we went by our launch, a Berlinda motor-boat fitted 

 with bollard or timberhead at the bow for small harpoon gun 

 for killing sperm or Australis. We found St Ebba's engineer 



very busy, and worried. The cooling water inflow was 

 stopped by something from outside. The British engineer 

 was also very busy with our Cochran steam boiler for our 

 winch. This winch seems very satisfactory a sixty-horse- 

 power salmon reel, with ratchet and noise in proportion. 



We continued working at the engines till seven P.M., then 

 motored in the St Ebba launch down the side of the island, 

 and got home in the dark at ten-thirty. 



I must cut down these day-to-day notes. " Launching a 

 whaler" sounds interesting enough till you come to read 



