THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Frobisher's Bay (where she was beset in September, 1901); she 

 was extricated from the ice and set on her way by the ' Windward 

 (Peary Expedition). The crew communicated with the Esqui- 

 maux, and were very successful in hunting Walrus and Musk 

 Ox ; but their voyage to St. John's was a very perilous one. 



From the first the whalers met with terrible weather. Early 

 in May the ' Eclipse ' ran on a rock near Disco, and, badly 

 damaged, put into Holsteinborg for temporary repairs; but, 

 more unfortunately still, during a fearful hurricane, accompanied 

 by blinding snow, the ' Nova Zembla,' in running for shelter to 

 Dexterity Fjord, on the west side of the Straits, went on the 

 rocks, and became a total wreck. Her crew, forty-two in all, 

 after a terrible experience, was rescued by the ' Diana ' and the 



I Eclipse,' which happily were sheltering in the same neighbour- 

 hood ; but for this timely assistance in all human probability 

 the crew would have perished. 



Of the five steamers which left Dundee, we have only four to 

 deal with, viz. the ' Active,' the ' Eclipse,' the ' Diana,' and the 

 ' Balsena.' The first of these visited Hudson Strait, and brought 

 back the produce of one small Black Whale (9 cwt. of bone), 

 killed in the month of June ; a second was killed, but lost in the 

 ice. Whales were in plenty, but so great was the accumulation 

 of ice that it was impossible to get at them. She also had 



II White Whales, 54 Walrus, 205 Seals, and 77 Bears. 



The ' Eclipse,' as before stated, had an adventurous voyage. 

 She left Dundee on the 12th April, and experienced very bad 

 weather at the southern fishery. On the 4th of May, when in 

 the vicinity of Disco, and in a blinding storm of wind and snow, 

 she struck upon a submerged rock, where she remained firmly 

 fixed for some time, notwithstanding the exertions of her crew, 

 and in extreme peril of breaking up in the terrible sea which 

 broke over her ; but happily the sea itself worked their deliver- 

 ance, and a great wave washed the vessel into deep water again. 

 Although badly damaged, they were able to run for Holsteinborg, 

 where the vessel was temporarily repaired. But even in this 

 crippled condition the brave crew did not neglect the object of 

 their voyage, for on the 10th of May, the gale having subsided, 

 they took their first fish. Fourteen days were lost at Holstein- 

 borg, and, then proceeding on their voyage, the second Whale 



