﻿NOTES 
  ON 
  THE 
  SEAL 
  AND 
  WHALE 
  FISHERY. 
  61 
  

  

  The 
  Liverpool 
  steamer 
  ' 
  Eldorado,' 
  engaged 
  in 
  the 
  fur 
  trade, 
  

   struck 
  a 
  sunken 
  rock 
  off 
  the 
  George 
  Eiver, 
  in 
  Ungava 
  Bay, 
  at 
  the 
  

   entrance 
  of 
  Hudson's 
  Bay, 
  and 
  foundered 
  at 
  once, 
  her 
  crew 
  of 
  

   forty 
  -seven 
  men 
  barely 
  escaping 
  with 
  their 
  lives. 
  After 
  great 
  

   hardship 
  from 
  exposure 
  to 
  cold 
  and 
  hunger, 
  and 
  a 
  600-mile 
  

   tramp, 
  they 
  reached 
  the 
  Temiscapping 
  Railway, 
  and 
  finally 
  

   arrived 
  safely 
  at 
  Montreal. 
  Such 
  are 
  the 
  dangers 
  of 
  this 
  ill- 
  

   charted 
  sea. 
  

  

  The 
  east 
  side 
  fishing-grounds 
  were 
  visited, 
  but 
  not 
  a 
  single 
  

   Whale 
  seen. 
  The 
  four 
  vessels 
  therefore 
  proceeded 
  north 
  to 
  

   Melville 
  Bay, 
  w 
  T 
  here 
  they 
  were 
  all 
  beset. 
  The 
  ' 
  Vega,' 
  a 
  fine 
  

   vessel 
  of 
  357 
  tons 
  gross, 
  built 
  at 
  Bremerhaven 
  in 
  1872, 
  and 
  

   notable 
  as 
  the 
  vessel 
  in 
  which 
  Baron 
  Nordenskjold 
  made 
  his 
  

   wonderful 
  north-east 
  passage 
  from 
  the 
  North 
  Cape 
  to 
  Berings 
  

   Strait 
  in 
  the 
  years 
  1878-9, 
  was 
  on 
  her 
  first 
  voyage 
  from 
  Dundee, 
  

   which 
  port 
  she 
  left 
  on 
  the 
  11th 
  April, 
  reaching 
  Melville 
  Bay 
  

   towards 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  May 
  ; 
  here 
  she 
  was 
  beset, 
  and 
  after 
  battling 
  

   with 
  the 
  floe 
  unsuccessfully 
  for 
  seven 
  days, 
  on 
  the 
  night 
  of 
  the 
  

   31st 
  of 
  May 
  the 
  ice 
  penetrated 
  her 
  side, 
  and 
  she 
  went 
  down 
  so 
  

   suddenly 
  that 
  those 
  of 
  her 
  crew 
  who 
  were 
  in 
  their 
  bunks 
  had 
  

   barely 
  time 
  to 
  escape, 
  scantily 
  clothed 
  and 
  without 
  boots 
  and 
  

   stockings. 
  Fortunately 
  her 
  seven 
  boats 
  had 
  been 
  got 
  out, 
  

   although 
  there 
  did 
  not 
  then 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  immediate 
  cause 
  for 
  

   alarm, 
  and 
  the 
  crew 
  of 
  forty-five, 
  half-clothed 
  and 
  badly 
  provided 
  

   with 
  provisions, 
  took 
  to 
  the 
  boats 
  off 
  Wilcox 
  Point, 
  where 
  the 
  

   wreck 
  occurred, 
  and, 
  after 
  6|- 
  days' 
  exposure 
  in 
  open 
  boats 
  to 
  cold, 
  

   dangerous 
  navigation, 
  and 
  terrible 
  weather, 
  they 
  reached 
  the 
  

   settlement 
  of 
  Upernivick. 
  After 
  staying 
  here 
  seven 
  days, 
  part 
  

   of 
  the 
  crew 
  started 
  in 
  two 
  boats 
  to 
  intercept 
  the 
  steamer 
  ' 
  Nov,' 
  

   which 
  leaves 
  Copenhagen 
  twice 
  a 
  year 
  for 
  the 
  east 
  side 
  Davis 
  

   Strait 
  settlements, 
  and, 
  after 
  having 
  travelled 
  300 
  miles 
  in 
  open 
  

   boats, 
  they 
  fortunately 
  found 
  her 
  at 
  Egedesminde, 
  and 
  were 
  

   landed 
  at 
  Aberdeen 
  ; 
  others 
  reached 
  Godhaven, 
  and 
  were 
  con- 
  

   veyed 
  to 
  Copenhagen 
  by 
  the 
  Danish 
  mail-packet, 
  and 
  arrived 
  at 
  

   Dundee 
  by 
  the 
  ' 
  Bona 
  ' 
  on 
  10th 
  September. 
  

  

  The 
  remaining 
  three 
  ships 
  were 
  also 
  fast 
  in 
  the 
  ice. 
  The 
  

   'Eclipse,' 
  which 
  was 
  slightly 
  in 
  advance, 
  was 
  the 
  first 
  to 
  escape 
  

   after 
  very 
  rough 
  handling, 
  but 
  sustaining 
  no 
  material 
  damage. 
  

   The 
  ' 
  Diana 
  ' 
  was 
  not 
  so 
  fortunate 
  ; 
  on 
  the 
  6th 
  June 
  she 
  was 
  

  

  