THE GREAT UNKNOWN. 



of the Artillery, and Mr. Ince of the Ordinance, 

 started from Halifax in a small yacht for Mahone 

 Bay, some forty miles eastward, on a fishing ex- 

 cursion. The morning was cloudy, and the wind 

 at S.S.E., and apparently rising: by the time we 

 reached Chebucto Head, as we had taken no pilot 

 with us, we deliberated whether we should pro- 

 ceed or turn back; but after a consultation, we 

 determined on the former, having lots of ports on 

 our lee. Previous to our leaving town, an old 

 man-of-war' s-man we had along with us busied 

 himself in inquiries as to our right course; he was 

 told to take his departure from the Bull Rock off 

 Pennant Point, and that a W.N.W. course would 

 bring us direct on Iron Bound Island, at the en- 

 trance of Mahone or Mecklenburgh Bay: he, how- 

 ever, unfortunately told us to steer W. S. W., nor 

 corrected his error for five or six hours; conse- 

 quently we had gone a long distance off the coast. 

 We had run about half the distance, as we sup- 

 posed, and were enjoying ourselves on deck, 

 smoking our cigars, and getting our tackle ready 

 for the approaching campaign against the salmon, 

 when we were surprised by the sight of an im- 

 mense shoal of grampuses, which appeared in an 

 unusual state of excitement, and which in their 

 gambols approached so close to our little craft, 

 that some of the party amused themselves by 

 firing at them with rifles; at this time we were 

 jogging on at about five miles an hour, and must 

 have been crossing Margaret's Bay. I merely con- 

 jecture where we were, as we had not seen land 

 since a short time after leaving Pennant Bay. 

 Our attention was presently diverted from the 

 whales and 'such small deer,' by an exclamation 

 from Bowling, our man-of-war' s-man, who was 

 sitting to leeward, of, '0, sirs, look herel' We 

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