viii Preface to Second Edition. 



with advantage their daring* and hazardous trade, 

 the benefits arising from the contemplated voyage 

 will be still further increased. The profits of the 

 whale fishery during the last three or four years 

 have been unusually large and the casualties ex- 

 cessively small, results which are principally due to 

 the wonderful advantage gained by the use of steam 

 power. It is true that during the past year two 

 whalers have fallen victims to the unyielding ice, 

 but in neither instance was there loss of life. The 

 " Tay " was crushed by the ice floes in Melville 

 Bay, and the dear old " Arctic " succumbed to the 

 irresistible pressure of the ice on the scene of her 

 exploits of 1873 off Cape Garry. I have had the 

 pleasure, on more than one occasion, of meeting 

 my late jovial and kind-hearted captain since he 

 returned to this country, after the loss of his ship. 

 A new " Arctic " has been built for him. She is 

 without exception the finest whaler afloat. May 

 all success attend him in his new. ship, and may he 

 speedily reap the reward of his indomitable pluck 

 and energy. 



The remains of the poor old "Arctic" lie, at 

 any rate, in the neighbourhood of good company. 

 Not ten miles from where she was crushed are the 

 remains of H. M. S. « Fury," wrecked in 1824 • 

 further to the southward the veteran Sir John 

 Ross, in 1831, was compelled to abandon his little 



