66 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



NOTES ON THE AECTIC WHALING VOYAGE OF 1906. 



By Thomas Southwell. 



The year 1905 being the twenty-fifth consecutive issue of 

 these whaling notes seemed a convenient period for their dis- 

 continuance, but there are certain features in the venture of the 

 past season which are of exceptional interest, and which induce 

 me once more to ask your indulgence. 



I may at once say that the voyage for the crews has been one 

 of great hardship, and of heavy loss to the owners of the vessels. 

 It is only the very high price of whalebone, of which there is a 

 great scarcity both in Scotland and in America, which has in 

 some degree helped to meet the expenses of the four vessels 

 which have been partially successful. 



In Davis Strait, which has for a long time been the only 

 profitable resort of the Scotch whalers, only two medium Whales 

 have been killed. This has been owing to the long-continued 

 easterly winds having so compacted the ice that the vessels were 

 unable, for the first time since the year 1878, to penetrate the 

 pack in Melville Bay, and thus were excluded from the " north 

 water," and the favourite resorts in the neighbourhood of Lan- 

 caster Sound. The summer fishery in the " middle waters," 

 generally a sure find, was also rendered impossible. The result 

 was that the ' Eclipse,' 'Diana,' and 'Windward' were clean, and 

 the ' Balsena ' and ' Morning ' only procured one Whale each, 

 yielding 15 cwt. of " bone " respectively. 



From Hudson Strait the ' Active ' reports that the month of 

 July was characterized by strong winds, accompanied by rain 

 and snow ; she reached the mica-mines on 4th of that month, 

 but was unable to force her way through Fox Channel, which 

 was blocked by ice, and devoted the rest of the month to Walrus 

 hunting, of which she killed some three hundred and fifty. On 

 the 23rd she killed her only Whale, a small one of but 3 cwt. 

 bone. The heavy ice preventing the vessel reaching the settle- 

 ment in Lyon's Inlet, the men whose turn it was to be relieved 



