46 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



industry, both as regards Seals and Whales, so far as the British 

 vessels are concerned, has — at least, for the present — come to 

 an end. 



In Davis Straits, on the other hand, there was no scarcity of 

 Whales, although, owing to the unfavourable condition of the 

 ice and the prevalence of stormy weather, the success was not 

 great. Five vessels left Dundee, and the ' Alert ' from Peter- 

 head, as usual, brought home produce from the Cumberland 

 Gulf station. Of the five Dundee vessels, four fished in Davis 

 Straits, and the ' Active ' visited the trading station in South- 

 ampton Island, whence she returned with the produce of 5 

 Whales, 262 Walrus, and 76 Bears. Three of these Whales 

 were killed in the spring at the station, and two in September 

 by the ' Active 1 ; but as the total yield is given as 25 tuns of oil, 

 and 30 cwt. of bone, they must have been very small ones. Much 

 time was lost by the ' Active ' searching in Fox Channel, Fisher 

 Strait, and the adjacent waters for the Yarmouth trawler 'Pro- 

 blem,' which, as will be mentioned farther on, was to have met 

 her at the station. 



The ' Nova Zembla ' was the first Davis Straits vessel to 

 arrive at Dundee on the 7th of October. She had experienced 

 bad weather, heavy ice, and a succession of mishaps to her 

 machinery. Several Whales were seen by her, but it was not 

 till the 20th of July that she succeeded in killing her first and 

 only fish at the middle fishing-ground ; this was a very small 

 one, yielding only about 4 tuns of oil and 3 cwt. of bone ; after 

 this no others were seen. In September she killed 418 White 

 Whales in Cumberland Gulf, and with these and 26 Bears bore 

 up for home. The ' Eclipse ' had a most adventurous voyage, 

 experiencing terrible weather from the time she left Dundee till 

 her return on the 29th of October. When Whales were seen it 

 was impossible to send the boats in pursuit, owing to the heavy 

 ice; but at last she was rewarded by a fine Whale of 11 ft. 10 in. 

 bone, and a month later a second was brought alongside ; but so 

 rough was the weather that the carcase was washed away before 

 flensing was completed. Later on a third fine Whale was killed, 

 and she started on her return voyage on the 11th of October with 

 two Whales and part of a third, yielding 59 tuns of oil and 50 cwt. 

 of bone: also 106 White Whales, 6 Walrus, 17 Seals, and 19 



