WHALING AND BEAR-HUNTING 125 



whales at different times and seasons I have never had the 

 luck to see one going through a phosphorescent sea ; but 

 Henriksen tells me a year or two ago, off Korea, he tried to 

 harpoon one in the dark, aiming at the glare as it passed 

 alongside. He could scarcely see the gun and fired a bit 

 too far back, I think at the light, instead of ahead of it, and 

 missed and saw the yellow blaze of light under water as the 

 shell on the point of the harpoon exploded. " Ask me if 

 that whale went fast," he said. 



It is Sunday, the 8th October, an idyllic Sunday ; there's 

 a grand, blue, rippling swell, and enough air to keep our sails 

 spread, so we roll gently along, a block creaking occasionally 

 and our little engine throbbing beautifully. But there is 

 a slight feeling of annoyance aft, and it's easily understood. 

 Our skipper has his idea of what Sunday at sea should be 

 when there's no whaling or hard sailing to attend to, and 

 I agree with him. He thinks all clothes-washing and drying 

 blankets and mattresses should be done on Saturday, Sunday 

 should show clear decks, shaved chins and, if possible, a change 

 of clothes and mind. But most of our crew apparently have 

 been brought up to the common idea of Sunday as washing- 

 day and have hung up shirts and clothes of all kinds every- 

 where. Henriksen endures the un-Sundaylike display but 

 vows "never again." Next Sunday we will be neat and 

 clear, or all hands will be working double tide at flensing or 

 hunting whales we shall see ! 



Meantime we have had days of quiet ship work, the sea 

 getting more blue each day, and winter clothes shedding. 

 On this account we held a shoppie on Friday got out the 

 captain's slop chest from the hold. This is an old sailing- 

 ship custom. Six of us carried it aft to quarter-deck, un- 

 locked it and took all the contents into the little cabin, and 

 wasn't it a well-stocked shop jerseys, trousers, boots in 

 cardboard boxes, caps, shirts, woollen gloves for the cold 

 northern seas, and white and blue dungaree suits for 

 tropics, and scented soap ! It was new for me to see scented 

 soap on such a business. Henriksen and the first mate 

 have a busy afternoon with their coats off and pipes going, 

 looking up prices and calculating the ten per cent, profit 



