236 WHALING AND BEAR-HUNTING 



down with a crash of spray. Though I have seen thousands 

 of Finners I have only seldom seen them leaping clear of the 

 water, but here is a jotting of one that rose several times 

 within thirty yards of us close enough ! leap after leap, 

 its tail ten feet clear of the sea, head first, straight up into 

 the air and down again head first ; what stupendous 

 strength and what delicate colour, its underside white as 

 kid, ribbed like corduroy, its back grey, glittering in the 

 sun (see page 235). 



We left our sheltered ice bay this morning, 19th July, 

 because the mist lifted and the sky hung in level lilac bands 

 above the ice-floes, and we got a few hours' further steaming 

 through the ice towards the coast. And I am rather sorry. 

 For we had got to know the biggest ice features of that bay, 

 and the fishing and shooting were worth quite a good rent 

 two bears, one narwhal and lots of hunting for other bears 

 in two days. I would have stayed a week more there my- 

 self and so would Gisbert, as we are both very keen about 

 the narwhals, but the others were not, and thought there 

 wasn't much chance of getting within shot. 



I must say the narwhals were provoking, rising trout in 

 a chalk stream are not more wary, still there was always a 

 chance. I'd have given a good deal to land one of these 

 splendid ivory horns. Time after time we got almost within 

 harpooning distance and the group of long spotted black 

 and white backs would signal to each other and quietly dis- 

 appear and sink. We stalked or rowed as quietly as possible 

 to one lot, and I had half a chance and let drive but the 

 harpoon struck water just a foot short of the nearest and 

 biggest. What a flourish of tails and spray there was as 

 they plunged and left great quiet swirls in the rippling water ; 

 our boat and hearts bobbing but no whale fast to a strain- 

 ing line. You salmon-fishers don't know the saltness of the 

 tears for a missed or lost whale. 



Svendsen, who has only done bottle-nose harpooning, was 

 put on for next chance and did exactly as I had done, only 

 he got his hand cut through the butt of the harpoon-gun 

 being a bit loose. Truth is, our gear, guns and line on the 



