Successful Exploring Expedition. 249 



difficulty j not unattended with danger, to get near 

 them. Eventually one was killed, but the other two 

 got away. Ours took out nearly two miles of line, 

 which must have chafed on the rocky bottom, as it 

 parted about fifty fathoms from the harpoon, so we 

 had the delightful occupation of hauling in the line 

 with nothing at the end of it. We got back to the 

 ship about eight, and after some refreshment started 

 again on another unsuccessful expedition after 

 whales. At midnight a fresh breeze sprang up ahead 

 as we were returning, which made it bitterly cold, 

 and also unpleasant to steer, the sea rising and nearly 

 unshipping the steer-oar at every toss, and we came 

 on board, wet, cold, and discontented. I have now 

 just got up, and find that we are off Cape Garry, 

 and the day fine and clear. The captain made me 

 supremely happy to-day by consenting to my pro- 

 posal of taking the dingy, with the doctor and a 

 couple of volunteers, for the purpose of going up 

 Bellot's Straits, and to be away three or four days. 

 I have no doubt in that time we might do a good 

 deal. I picked out a piece of gneiss to-day from 

 the gun-harpoon that Jemmy Grey fired yesterday, 

 and which had been dragging along the bottom. 



Monday night, August 11th. — Just returned from 

 a short but most successful exploring expedition, 

 very tired, very sleepy, and all my bones aching. 

 Last night, being about eight miles off Cape Garry, 

 the captain consented to my taking the dingy to 



