A VOYAGE TO SPITZBEEGEN, ETC. 149 



fastnesses of the eastern coast. These waters, not being influ- 

 enced by the Gulf Stream, are seldom navigable, except in rare 

 open seasons, and the Walrus there finds a secure retreat. 



The "Right "Whale," Bal(sna mysticetus, has in like manner 

 disappeared from its former haunts on the west coast, where, in 

 Scoresby's time, a valuable fishery was annually carried on. Not 

 a single "right" Whale was seen by us, though the huge 

 "Tinners," or Rorqual, were of daily occurrence in the open 

 sea, and the White Whales numerous in the Sounds. 



The "dinners" are seldom molested by the Norwegian whalers. 

 So enormous is their strength, and they are so vicious when at- 

 tacked, that their capture, as a commercial venture, " does not 

 pay." They yield a certain amount of oil, but the loss of lines 

 and gear, not to mention lives, is hardly proportionate. 



From Ice Ejord we weighed anchor on our homeward voyage, 

 but I must not leave Spitzbergen without mentioning its wild 

 flowers. Dwarfed and stunted as are their types by the ungenial 

 climate, yet many possess really brilliant colours, which greatly 

 relieve the desolate scenes. Most conspicuous are the Saxifrages, 

 their bright red and purple petals forming perfect cushions of 

 colour, while their spreading creepers extend for yards around. 

 Then there are tiny star-shaped Flowerets, some white, others 

 bright yellow ; others again of the Buttercup shape, and a small 

 species of Potentilla ; but ignorance of botany prevents my giv- 

 ing names. On the stony slopes grew clusters of miniature 

 Poppies, yellowish- white, with hairy stems, and high up on the 

 hills in Ice Fjord we found a dwarf Dandelion, with a white 

 flower and very dark leaves. But the most brilliant Arctic 

 flower is a rich purple Yalerian, I believe Polemonium cceruleum, 

 of which a few were gathered at Bel Sound.'^ 



* The following species have tieeii kindly named by Mr. Howse from specimens 

 brought home from Spitzbergen, viz., Ranunculus svlphureus, Papaver nudicaule, L., 

 Arabis alpina, L., Draba aJpina, L., Cocklearia fenestrata, Br., Cardamine pratensis, L. 

 Cerastium alpinnm, L., SteUaria Edwardsii, Br., ? sp., Saxifraga oppositifolia, L., S. htr- 

 culus, L., S. ccespitosa, L., <S. cemua, L., S. rivularis, L., Dryas octopetala, L., Potentilla 

 emarginatal, Leontodon taraxacum, L.va.v., Andromedateiragona, 'L.,Polemo7immceruleum 

 L., Pedicularis hirsuta, Polygonum viviparum, L., Salix herbacea, Eriophorum, ? sp., and 

 traces of a small species of Equisetum, etc, 



