SUMMER SPORT IN NOVA ZEMLA. 83 



to be threatened with a sortie from the enclosed 

 prey, which were so easily turned by these means 

 that in a very short space of time they were nearly 

 all got together in the desired place, and a second 

 net promptly run out from shore to shore. The 

 whales between the two nets were now almost dis- 

 regarded, a single boat only, assisted by us in our 

 dingy, being left to see that they did not get through 

 any possibly unguarded spots, and the attention of 

 the rest of the boats was turned exclusively towards 

 those within the last net laid out. This net, like the 

 first, was a very long way indeed from being on the 

 bottom, and why the whales did not "sound" and 

 pass out beneath them both, is not apparent. It can 

 only be supposed that their custom is to keep always 

 near the surface, and perhaps they are not blessed 

 with the keenest of vision, as their small eyes seem 

 to indicate ; at any rate, unless they are very stupid, 

 very blind, or very frightened, or perhaps all three 

 combined, one would naturally suppose that they 

 Avould escape as a matter of course. Not so, how- 

 ever; for presently a whale gets entangled in the 

 net, straining and struggling till one would think the 

 whole fabric would burst beating the sea into foam, 

 as ever and anon he throws his great tail and shiny 

 white back out of the water. A boat swiftly ap- 

 proaches, the bowman standing with weapon poised 

 in both hands, ready for a throw ; and watching his 

 opportunity, as the snowy back again emerges from 



