THEIR PROFITS. 51 



one eacli. Thus, if the gross proceeds of a 

 voyage in skins, blubber, and ivory be esti- 

 mated at 2000 dollars, and the number of 

 hands amounts to ten, which is the usual 

 number for a vessel with two boats, the shares 

 will be worth 47^ dollars, or about 10^. each : 

 101. is a much more important sum of money 

 in Norway than it is in Britain; and so 

 (putting aside the exciting nature of the occu- 

 pation), it is not surprising that the best 

 seamen and boldest spirits of the north of 

 Norway should be generally found in the 

 jfpitzbergen sealers. These are the true des- 

 cendants and successors of the gallant Vikings 

 and Berserkars, who of old ravaged and con- 

 quered the coasts of Europe from Jutland 

 to Otranto. This pursuit to these men has 

 all the excitement of a jlottery, because, 

 in the case of a very successful season, 

 they mat/ make a good deal more than the 

 above-stated amounts, and I dare say a good 

 deal of the spirit of the gambler enters into 

 their calculations. They are always over head 

 and ears in debt to the merchants before they 

 start, and so I believe it is usual for the 

 owners to compound with the crew for the 

 third of the cargo belonging to them, by giving 



E 2 



