166 Irregular Living. 



cabin. When speaking of whales they must always 

 be called "fish," nothing else in whaling parlance 

 coming under that designation. This I found out 

 the other day on seeing the blast of a narwhal, and 

 exclaiming, " There is a fish." " No, sir," said 

 Tom, the second mate, " that's nae fish, only a 

 unie." We are cruising off and on between Leo- 

 pold Island and Cape York, at the entrance of 

 Prince Regent's Inlet. Now that we are ready for 

 fish, they have made themselves scarce. 



Wednesday, July 2nd. — Flinching was not com- 

 pleted until eight o'clock this morning, when the 

 watch was set. The state of irregularity in which 

 we live is positively delicious. I never know when 

 I am to have anything to eat, nor even when I am 

 to get any sleep. On some days we breakfast at 

 5 a. m., on others at 5 p.m., and the remaining meals 

 are served in the same charming irregularity. We 

 are now again going up Prince Regent's Inlet, the 

 land on each side barely discernible on account of 

 the mist. 



Thursday, July 3rd. — This morning I was awak- 

 ened early by the captain coming into my cabin to 

 tell me that the " Esquimaux " and the " Narwhal " 

 were both coming up the inlet ; and about eight, as 

 we were sitting down to breakfast, we received a 

 visit from Captain McLellan, of the latter ship, 

 from whom we learnt with surprise that the two 

 ships had only been released from their icy bond- 

 age the previous Saturday, having been beset ever 



