SEALS ON THE ICE. 23 



forty great seals and one bear ; they also in- 

 formed us that the north coast of Spitzbergen, 

 which is usually considered the best hunting- 

 ground, was this year impracticable, on account 

 of large quantities of ice being jammed against 

 the coast at the north-west promontory, called 

 Hakluyt's Headland. 



On the 4th it was dead calm, and one of the 

 most beautiful, bright, sunny days imaginable ; 

 it even felt quite warm, although the thermo- 

 meter was only 50° in the shade. We got a 

 boat out, and rowed for about six hours 

 amongst the ice, looking for seals, but only 

 saw three, all of whom managed to save their 

 blubber. 



On such a day as this, in these latitudes one 

 can see to immense distances with great dis- 

 tinctness, and hills which we know by reckon- 

 ing and observation to be forty or fifty miles 

 off, appear to the eye as if they were not more 

 than ten or twelve. This is, doubtless, owing 

 to a very dry atmosphere, and also to the 

 greater flatness of the globe so near the pole 

 permitting a much larger horizon to be visible. 



In the evening we had drifted close up to 

 the brig beforementioned, and upon hailing her 

 I was pleased to find her the " Nordbye," of 



c 4 



