A Day of Adventure. 221 



sights at 4.30 a.m., 5.30 a.m., 6.40 a.m., 9.30 a.m., 

 and noon; and with the true bearings obtained at 

 the same time, shall be able to give the principal 

 headlands. 



Tuesday, July 29th. — This has been a day full 

 of adventure and excitement, one of those days one 

 reads of in story books treating of the whale fishery. 

 Last night a fine narwhal was harpooned, with a 

 horn rather over nine feet in length. After break- 

 fast I went away to officiate as harpooneer in a boat 

 " on the bran," but the water was so smooth, and 

 everything so silent and quiet, that we were unable 

 to approach the ' ' wily unie " sufficiently near to 

 effect its capture. Before returning on board I 

 hazarded a long shot at one, but although it was 

 hit, and we all thought we were fast, he got away. 

 I had just completed a double altitude when the 

 captain sent down to say he saw some bears on the 

 floe. Putting my books on one side I ran on deck, 

 and getting the dingy, went away with the two 

 doctors and Chester. We pulled for some time 

 without seeing anything, and were just on the point 

 of giving it up and returning to the ship when 

 ' ' Brume " was espied some distance off the floe, 

 but coming towards us. When he had approached 

 within 600 yards his curiosity appeared to be satis- 

 fied, and he seemed inclined to show us his heels, 

 perceiving which I landed on the floe, and, running 

 as fast as possible, got him between the water and 



