DETERMINE TO GO AGAIN. 3 



scliooner yaclit, as in threading the intricate 

 mazes of the ice there was no possibility of 

 stopping her " way " to ayoid collisions, as is 

 done by backing the topsails of a square-rigged 

 vessel, and her frail planking and thin copper 

 were exposed to constant destruction from the 

 ice. The dandified "ultramarine blue " painted 

 gigs were also totally unsuited for the rough 

 work of pushing in amongst the ice in pursuit 

 of the seal and the wabus ; indeed, it was very 

 fortunate for us that we did not succeed in 

 harpooning one of the latter mighty amphibice 

 from the yacht's boats, for my subsequent ex- 

 perience of the strength and ferocity of these 

 animals leads me to believe that he would 

 infallibly have pulled us aU to the bottom of 

 the sea. 



In the spring of 1859, therefore, I made up 

 my mind to have another trip to Spitzbergen, 

 and to go about it in a more systematic way; 

 so early in the season I wrote to a gentleman 

 in Hammerfest, who had been good enough to 

 accompany me on my previous trip as an 

 amateur pilot, requesting him to hire for me a 

 small, stout " jagt,"* suitably planked, and pro- 



* A small sloop without a topmast ; a rig very general 

 amongst the Scandinavian coasters. 



B 2 



