WHALING AND BEAR-HUNTING 111 



worked perfectly ; Urmston, a born mechanic and sailor, 

 was delighted with the whole turn-out, so it was rather a 

 jolly dinner and there were many yarns. 



One of the subjects that came up was that of wives at sea. 

 44 Ach, vifes at sea's no good," said Henriksen emphatically, 

 and I was rather surprised, as I know Norwegian captains 

 often take their wives to sea, but Henriksen has been, as a 

 boy and mate, a looker-on, and has seen trouble come from it. 



" No, no," he continued, " alvays bad veather and 

 trouble ven veemen's on board. I tell you vonce a veeman 

 come on board I laff ! We vas in a barque and the 

 captain's vife she owned it she vas very reech, and had 

 tree sheeps. She vas married tree times the captain tell 

 me dis, he vas her tird husband." Henriksen was serving 

 his time on this barque as all Norsemen do, on sailing-ships 

 before the mast. At Boulogne they lay one night alongside 

 the slip, and all but he had gone on shore to the cafes. He 

 being youngest had to do watchman, and brewed himself 

 coffee in the galley and then dozed, possibly slept for " five 

 minutes or maybe two hours," he said. " I do not know, 

 and ven I vakes up I looks out and dere is a light in cabin 

 so I goes quiet and looks down the skylight and der vas a 

 great veemen ! with luggage on de floor beside her." 



Down to the cabin went Henriksen and addressed her. 

 44 Who is you, vat you come here for without leave ? " To 

 which she replied : 44 1 am the captain's wife." But the boy 

 would not be bluffed. 44 That is not true," he cried, 44 go 

 away at once, you'se bad veemen, you comes here to steal, 

 be off wid you before I gets the crew or the captain comes." 



And she looked round her and rose and reached to a young 

 woman's photo on the wall and held it to Henriksen and he 

 gazed and saw the truth ; this elderly spacious person still 

 preserved some faint resemblance to the buxom girl in the 

 faded photograph. So Henriksen made his bow you know 

 how the Norse bow, straight from the hips, and apologised 

 and asked forgiveness, which she very graciously extended 

 to him, saying : 44 You very good boy, you look after ship 

 well." So he chatted away pleasantly, and got her coffee 

 and food and retired again to the galley, and when he was 



