ON TEE SOLANDER GROUNDS. 335 



it lasted. The time did not hang heavy on our h«,nds, 

 for the surrounding country offered many attractions, 

 which we were allowed to take full advantage of. Spear- 

 ing eels and flounders at night by means of a cresset 

 hung out over the boat's bow, as she was slowly sculled 

 up the long, shallow creeks, was a favourite form of 

 amusement. Mr. Cross, the resident, kindly allowed us 

 to raid his garden, where the ripe fruit was rotting by 

 the bushel for want of consumers. We needed no 

 pressing ; for fruit, since we left Vau Vau, of any kind 

 had not come in our way ; besides, these were " homey " 

 — currants, gooseberries, strawberries — delightful to see, 

 smell, and taste. So it came to pass that we had a high 

 old time, unmarred by a single regrettable incident, 

 until, after an enforced detention of twenty days, we 

 . were able to get to sea again. 



Halfway down the Straits we sighted the Chance, all 

 hands ripping the blubber off a sizeable whale in the 

 same " anyhow " fashion as they handled their ship. 

 They were in high glee, giving us a rousing cheer as we 

 passed them on our westward course. Arriving on the 

 ground, we found a goodly company of fine ships, which 

 I could not help thinking too many for so small an area. 

 During our absence the Tamerlane had been joined by 

 the Eliza Adams, the Matilda Sayer, the Coral, and the 

 Rainbow ; and it was evident that no whale venturing 

 within the radius of the Solander in the daytime would 

 stand much chance of escaping such a battery of eager 

 eyes. Only three days elapsed after our arrival when 

 whales were seen. For the first time, I realized how 

 numerous those gigantic denizens of the sea really are. 

 As far as the eye could reach, extending all round one- 

 half of the horizon, the sea appeared to be alive with 

 spouts — all sperm whales, all bulls of great size. The 



