WHALING. 493 



Gradually, however, his healthy nature seems to have asserted itself. The 

 instincts of the true sportsman were within him. Always interested in the 

 fortunes of his ship and of Captain Penny, for whom he had the highest 

 esteem, he soon began to participate in the excitement that thrilled through 

 the ship when " A fall ! " was shouted from aloft, and the men tumbled 

 headlong into the boats, and rowed madly away to be in at the death. It 

 was when in his despondent mood that he wrote : " For my part, every suc- 

 cessive capture we made was a sort of disappointment to me, for the more 

 we got, the less chance was there of our getting up Lancaster Sound — my 

 only aim and object." Alas ! poor Yorick ! A few days later, however, we 

 find that he has, temporarily at least, aims and objects of a very different 

 character. The spirit of the hunter is soon awakened within him, and rages 

 in his bosom as in that of another Nimrod. Let us see the doctor en chasse : 

 " It was late in the evening of a brilliantly clear and warm day — one of 

 those days which but too seldom enliven this land of eternal ice and snow, 

 and which, when they do happen, contrast so delightfully with the many 

 days of dreary mist which the visitor of Arctic countries has to endure. 

 Two or three of the hands were lounging listlessly about the decks, all the 

 watch being 'on the bran' (watch) in the boats, stationed along the ice, to 

 which the ship was made fast, and the rest of the crew sound asleep in their 

 berths. The master had just gone up to the crow's-nest to take a look 

 around him before turning in. He had not been there many minutes before 

 his quick and well-trained eye saw whales blowing beyond a point of ice some 

 ten miles distant. The welcome news soon spread that the long-looked-for 

 ' run' was at length in sight, and ere long every soul was astir and ready 

 for the sport. The boats were immediately lowered, those in the 'bran' 

 were called alongside, and their kegs filled with bread, beef, and water, and 

 a small supply of grog given to each. The master was anxiously reiterating 

 his orders to each of the harpooners ; whilst some of the keenest of them 

 were running up to the crow's-nest, and as they came down again were 

 asserting that they saw the whales spouting like ' steam-coaches, only far 

 thicker.' Most of the boats were now sent off to meet the ' run ;' but in a 

 short time, the whales showing no inclination to come further into the bay, 

 the rest were despatched also, with orders to puU right out to them. I had 

 no idea of remaining by the now almost deserted ship at a distance from the 

 scene, so I proposed to go in the last boat, and, as we were short enough of 

 hands, I had no difficulty in getting my offer accepted. We had a long pull 

 before us, but the anticipation of the sport, the delightful calm of the even- 

 ing, and the beauty of the scene around us, shortened the distance wonder- 

 fully. . . • We passed a Kirkcaldy vessel, the crew of which were 

 busily engaged, and pulling onwards. We shortly came up to one of our own 

 boats, which we found had succeeded in killing a large fish of ten or eleven 



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