Chapter XVIII. 



CAPE GAPvRY. 



ONDAY, August 4th. — Last night, just 

 as I was going to bed, Bannerman, 

 whose middle watch it was, came down 

 and asked me if I would like to go 

 away with him after unies, two having already been 

 harpooned, adding that a bear had been seen on the 

 ice. I did not require much persuasion to go, and 

 taking my rifle, we were soon pulling about after 

 narwhals, Bannerman as steersman and I as har- 

 pooneer. Soon we espied a large bear, apparently 

 asleep on the floe; but the ice being loosely packed, 

 we were unable to approach within 500 yards with 

 the boat. We therefore jumped out on the ice, and 

 endeavoured to make our way towards the animal. 

 This was by no means easy, as the floes were in 

 some places so far apart as to render it impossible 

 to jump across ; we were therefore compelled in 

 these places to push the floes over with boat-hooks, 



