CHAPTER XXIV 



MY first impressions of the Arctic ice compared to 

 Antarctic ice are distinctly disappointing, which 

 reminds me of my friend Dr Bruce's first impres- 

 sions of the same. He had been in the Antarctic, then came 

 up here to join the Jackson Harms worth expedition. For 

 several days they had been going through ice when he 

 remarked: "I would rather like to see one of your polar 

 icebergs. " " What ! " they said, " you have passed a dozen of 

 them in the last two days. Why, there is one now," and they 

 pointed to a piece of ice about seventy feet high, and about 

 two hundred feet in length. Bruce was silent. I remember 

 one of the first considerable bergs we saw in the South was 

 over two hundred feet in height and more than nine miles 

 long we only saw one end of it ! He had not quite realised 

 that an Arctic berg was so small a thing compared to the 

 majestic Antarctic bergs he had been familiar with off 

 Graham's Land, and in the Weddell Sea. When grounded 

 and shoved up, the Antarctic bergs are sometimes several 

 hundred feet in height, and have, we know from soundings, 

 a total thickness of about one thousand feet. 



As we sat looking at the rather gloomy view grey sea 

 and bits of bluish ice one of us spotted a black speck away 

 down to leeward and the first watch bolted for their rifles 

 and we steamed down. Pop pop went the rifles, the 

 mausers at about fifty yards. A lucky shot drew " first 

 blood" a small one-year-old hooded-seal. Great was the 

 rejoicing in our little community, and we forgot the cold and 

 dreary aspect, and dropped a boat and the seal was aboard 

 and flinched in no time. 



Then the writer turned in for one, also Archie, and the 

 sefiors made merry with a tiny drop of whisky and soda, 

 and were very well pleased. In my dreams I heard another 

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