" WHITTLING " A GREAT RESOUECE. 73 



averages 40° in the cabin, and I think it will 

 he generally conceded that we are paying 

 pretty dear for the pleasure of hunting wal- 

 ruses in the Arctic seas. I must not omit to 

 mention that the cabin has two redeeming 

 points, viz. there are no vermin, and the wood 

 of which the beams and boarding is composed 

 is of a very light and soft description, emi- 

 nently adapted for " whittling " and engraving, 

 and in these intellectual and scientific occupa- 

 tions we find a great resource. As for reading, 

 it is next to impossible, for I defy anybody to 

 read long sitting on a locker nine inches broad ; 

 also the bunks are too dark, and if we try to 

 read in tliem, we generally go to sleep. 



\hth. — Wind round to the south-west, and 

 mild. Summoned on deck at 5 a.m., a large 

 herd of walruses being reported from the mast- 

 head. They were a long distance ofp, and were 

 not visible from the deck ; but, as it was dead 

 calm, Isaac said we had better go up to them 

 in the boats for fear of fog coming on again, 

 or some other boats being before us ; so we had 

 our breakfast first, and then started with both 

 boats full-manned. We had a pleasant row of 

 four or five miles over calm water quite free of 

 ice, and were cheered for the latter half of the 



