VOYAGE THROUGH THE KARA SEA 221 



Juell, and I set off. There seemed to be a slight breeze 

 from the south, so we rowed to the north side of the floe, 

 to get to leeward of the animals. From time to time 

 their sentry raised his head, but apparently did not see 

 us. We advanced slowly, and soon we were so near that 

 we had to row very cautiously. Juell kept us going, while 

 Henriksen was ready in the bow with a harpoon, and I 

 behind him with a gun. The moment the sentry raised 

 his head the oars stopped, and we stood motionless ; 

 when he sunk it again, a few more strokes brought us 

 nearer. 



Body to body they lay close-packed on a small floe, 

 old and young ones mixed. Enormous masses of flesh 

 they were ! Now and again one of the ladies fanned 

 herself by moving one of her flappers backward and 

 forward over her body ; then she lay quiet again on her 

 back or side. " Good gracious ! what a lot of meat !" 

 said Juell, who was cook. More and more cautiously 

 we drew near. While I sat ready with the gun, Hen- 

 riksen took a good grip of the harpoon shaft, and as the 

 boat touched the floe he rose, and off flew the harpoon. 

 But it struck too hio'h, Q-lanced off the touHi hide, and 

 skipped over the backs of the animals. Now there was 

 a pretty to do ! Ten or twelve great weird faces glared 

 upon us at once ; the colossal creatures twisted them- 

 selves round with incredible celerity, and came waddling 

 with lifted heads and hollow bellowings to the edge of 

 the ice where we lay. It was undeniably an imposing 



