WHALE HUNTING" WITH GUN AND CAMERA 



the boat was already' under way. * Crawling down 

 from my narrow shelf I wriggled" through the hatch- 

 way to the deck, above. It was a perfect morning, 

 the sun already an hour high and a fresh breeze com- 

 ing from .the west. We were headed down the river 

 for an island four miles distant, about the lower end of 

 which, with the glass, a large school of whales could 

 be seen playing back and forth in the tide rips. I 

 stretched out on top of the cabin drinking in the fresh 

 salt air and enjoying the warm sunshine which was 

 doubly welcome after the raw wind of the day before. 



As we neared the upper end of the island, I heard 

 a confused murmur of sounds, and with a question 

 turned to the porpoise hunter. "Myack," he said, and 

 I sa>v that the shore was lined with a great flock of 

 eider ducks. He threw the tiller over and as we 

 drew in toward the land one or two stragglers rose 

 and then, with a perfect roar of wings, the whole 

 flock launched itself into the air. It was a magnifi- 

 cent sight as the great birds whirled past us, the black 

 and white plumage of the males flashing in the sun- 

 light. I watched them through my glasses until, with 

 a sudden graceful curve, they swung down clear to 

 the water and were lost in the blue wisps of fog which 

 still hung in the air. 



We sailed along abreast of the island and dropped 

 anchor in a perfect rock-walled harbor at its lower end. 

 Not far away in the tide rip a school of white whales 

 were darting back and forth after the fleeing capelan. 



My excitement was at fever heat, for since the water 

 was fairly smooth I was to try my luck at shooting. 



272 



