80 DISRATE SOLOMON. 



but without receiving any injury beyond being 

 I nearly drowned and having a deep scar ploughed 

 in each side of his forehead by the tusks of the 

 animal, which he thought did not wish to hurt 

 him, but mistook him for her calf, as he 

 floundered in the water. 



Owing to the great coolness and expertness 

 of the men follo"\ving this pursuit, such mishaps 

 are not of very frequent occurrence, but still a 

 season seldom passes without two or three lives 

 being lost one way or another. 



16th. — Mem. " Johann " alias "Jack" to 

 be second harpooner on trial, vice Solomon, 

 superseded for incapacity : the latter bears his 

 degradation with philosophy and equanimity 

 worthy of his great namesake, and descends to 

 the much less honourable position of line- 

 holder ; probably he is somewhat consoled for 

 his loss of position by knowing that it will not 

 affect his emoluments — having signed articles 

 as harpooner at 20 dollars per mensem. To be 

 a good harpooner requires great courage, 

 activity, and presence of mind, and it is a 

 common remark, that "not one man in a 

 hundred is capable of ever becoming a good 

 one." Jack has been six voyages to Spitz- 

 bergen, but has never acted as harpooner 



