50 FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 
vessel, on which the jibboom rests.) He clings to this 
with one hand, with his feet on the stays and the harpoon 
in his free hand, and the line attached to the harpoon is 
passed to the men on the focsle-head. Whilst he hangs 
on, occasionally getting a dip into the waves, the crew 
lean over the bow and give advice and hold on to the line. 
The porpoise comes dashing round the vessel right under 
her bow. Down goes the harpoon, fair and true into its 
back, the crew haul away on the line, which is rove 
through a block, and up comes the sea-pig, kicking and 
spluttering in mid-air. A running bowline is then 
chucked round his tail, and he is hauled on deck amidst 
great applause, and handed over to our gallant cook. 
We executed all the above manoeuvres, except that of 
bringing the pig on board. Either the porpoises dis- 
appeared just when we were ready for them, or the har- 
poon drew out of their backs. 
. . . The air is warm, the sky grey, and the wind in the 
S.W. We are only getting very slowly ahead. If we could 
just continue this course for a couple of days we would 
make the south coast of Portugal. One of the vexations 
of a long ocean voyage is that one passes within a few 
hundred miles of so many interesting places which one 
would give anything to see, and yet may not land. What 
would I not give just now to see our helm put up and a 
course made for shore, to land and stretch one's legs on 
solid ground, to see Velasquez and eat oranges? 
We brought forth Kipling's Ballads to-day for the 
general diversion. The writer is wrong to suggest, in one 
