NOTES ON THE SEAL AND WHALE FISHERY. 27 



one was lost through the harpoon breaking ; but no other capture 

 was made, and the ' piana ' returned with a successful cargo of 

 3 Whales, 23 White Whales, 30 Seals, and 26 Bears, yielding 

 36 tuns of oil and 45 cwt. of bone. 



The report of the ' Eclipse ' indicates the difficulties the 

 vessels had to contend with, and, although no serious accidents 

 occurred, the voyage was attended with much anxiety and hard- 

 ship. When nearing Melville Bay the cold was intense, and the 

 vessel had a hard struggle to fight her way through the ice, which 

 constantly threatened to hold her fast in its pitiless embrace. 

 Slowly she forced her way through till she reached the Bay 

 proper, when the elements proved too strong, and whilst gallantly 

 battling against fog, snow, and ice she was finally beset, and 

 remained fast for twenty-five days. On reaching the Straits 

 fishing-ground it was found that the old ice had not yet dis- 

 appeared, and that it was being daily augmented by fresh 

 formations, rendering the navigation both difficult and danger- 

 ous. Early in July several large Whales were seen, and one, a 

 very fine fish of 12 ft. bone, captured. A few days later a second 

 but much smaller Whale of only 4 or 5 ft. bone fell to her share, 

 and these, with 53 White Whales, a few Seals, Walruses, and 

 Bears, yielding 29 tuns of oil and 22 cwt. of bone, formed the 

 whole of her cargo. 



The ' Balama ' captured one fair- sized Whale of 10 tuns of 

 oil and 15 cwt. of bone, and the ' Windward,' after several dis- 

 appointments, killed a small fish of 7 ft. bone, yielding 8 tuns of 

 oil and 5 cwt. of bone ; her ill-luck continued, for she subse- 

 quently fastened to a much larger Whale, which she lost through 

 the line breaking. The crew killed 16 Bears. 



The season therefore cannot be regarded as a successful one, 

 the total return for the five whalers being 9 Whales, 104 tuns of 

 oil, and 108 cwt. of bone, to which must be added the cargoes of 

 the ' Queen Bess ' and the 'Albert,' making in all 11 Eight and 

 168 White Whales, 45 Walruses, 1135 Seals, 109 Bears, 211 Fox, 

 and 30 Musk-Ox, with 114 tuns of oil and 113 cwt. of bone. 



The present price of oil is £21 per tun, and that of whale- 

 bone uncertain, no sales of importance having at present been 

 effected ; £2500 per ton for Bize bone is being asked. The pro- 

 bable value of the season's produce would be about £16,250. 



