188 WHALING AND BEAR-HUNTING 



shot and the engine stopped, and we crunched up against 

 ice, so I knew another seal had gone to the happy hunting 

 grounds ; I showed a leg for half-a-minute, not more, it was 

 shivering cold on deck. 



Young Don Luis Velasquez had got the seal through 

 the head, first blood for his split new rifle, telescope 

 sight, etc. 



On this almost mild morning of pigeon-grey sky, light and 

 fine rain (8th July), we are passing through a wilderness of 

 ice pans and small floes and the soft grey sky is reflected 

 on the rippling lavender-coloured sea. The ice pans are 

 mostly blue and white, like blue muslin overlaid with white, 

 which shows almost emerald-green under the water. On 

 the pans are fresh-water pools reflecting soft grey of sky, 

 each pool surrounded by a rim of pale cobalt. So I wonder 

 if there is any blue paper on board to paint on, with white 

 body colour ; that might secure the effect most rapidly. 

 And on some of the floes are seals lying at rest, whilst others 

 disport themselves as dolphins do in the sea, but we stop 

 not for these, for the lavender sky is deep in colour away 

 ahead, so we know there is more or less open water free of 

 ice, possibly leaving a road for us to Greenland's ice- 

 bound strand. That is our object, slightly uncertain of 

 attainment, as it depends on the drift of the polar ice from 

 the North. In some years you can make the land easily 

 other years it is unattainable. 



We keep a sharp look-out from the crow's nest and bridge 

 and deck for the blow of a whale ; possibly we may spot a 

 Nord Capper, or even the scarce Greenland Right Whale 

 Balsena Mysticetus, and lift 1000 or so. We have tackle 

 for them, but the finner whale on this trip we must leave 

 alone, he is too monstrous strong. I have written about their 

 capture in the first part of this book. 



Here we may meet a large male polar bear, for they venture 

 far afield. Nearer land we are likely to fall in with family 

 parties, females and cubs. Where the seals are, there are 

 the bears. It is a very curious thing about seals of the 

 Antarctic sea as compared with these Arctic seals, that you 

 very seldom see them in the South showing their heads above 



