48 WHALING AND BEAR-HUNTING 



By two in the night we were digging into the same hole, 

 making little or no way, with more than half-a-gale from 

 sou' -west. 



In the morning we were a very sad lot of whaler sailors. 

 Fore and aft all were sick, or at least very sorry for them- 

 selves. All but Henriksen and the mate and the writer and 

 one man were really ill, and we, I believe, only pretended to 

 be well such is the effect of the motion of a small whaler 

 vessel on even old sailors on their first experience of them. 

 I have known Norsemen who have been at sea all their 

 lives on large craft refuse to go on a modern whaler at any 

 pay. 



We aim at getting up the Norse coast as far as Bergen, 

 then going west towards north of Shetlands and, given fine 

 weather, we ought to pick up a whale or two before putting 

 in to Lerwick, where we must re-register our vessel. 



But the wind increases to a full gale. All the sea is white 

 and the sky hard, and rain and sun alternate and our nine- 

 and-a-half -knot speed is reduced to about four. 



But St Ebba is a dry ship. She proves that at least. 

 Any other vessel I have been in, whaler or other, would ship 

 more water than we do. 



There is no use trying to steam or motor against this 

 N.-E. gale, so it's up close-reefed fore and mainsail and stay- 

 sail ; only four men to do it, and that for the first time of this 

 ship at sea, and in a gale. Reef points are made and all got 

 ready ; then it's " Haul away on throat and peak " and up 

 goes the scrap of sail, and what clouds of spray burst over the 

 oilskin-clad figures as they haul away cheerily ! The writer, 

 at the wheel on the bridge, even comes in for a bit of the 

 rather too refreshing salt spray. 



Now the after or main sail is set like a board, and we are 

 transformed into a sailing-ship. 



A ring on the bell and the engine and sick engineer get 

 respite ; a point or two off the wind and there is the silence 

 of a sailing-ship no engine vibrations. True, we make 

 little or no progress and some leeway, but the motion is 

 heavenly compared to the plugging away of an engine into 

 a head sea. 



