FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 27 
the commercial aspects of whaling and sealing. I hope 
so for their sake; but my present intention is simply to 
give rough sketches and notes of what interests me on 
the voyage, trusting that they will not be so horribly 
disjointed as to be quite unreadable. 
The morning of the 7th was wet and foggy. At 8 A.M. 
Peterhead bore W.S.W. ten miles — so a fisherman shouted 
to us as his brown lug-sailed boat crossed our bows and 
disappeared in the mist, hurrying home with their night's 
catch to get the first of the market. Later in the day the 
fog cleared, and we set all sail with a fair wind. The crew 
were very busy all day setting up rigging, but rather sad 
and quiet as they worked. No doubt their heads and 
hearts were sore. In the afternoon came a change ; the 
S.E. wind had fallen, and scarcely filled our sails, when 
a patch of black clouds formed over the land in the N.W. 
in clear grey sky. Slowly it came out towards us, 
hanging low, growkig gradually larger, and throwing a 
dark shadow on the leaden sea. Round us the sea fell 
glassy calm, and the black monster came down twisting, 
twirling, forming out of nothing below, vanishing 
raggedly above in the chilly air. The men stood by the 
sheets and halyards silently waiting the orders to shorten 
sail ; their faces looked pale and ghastly against the dull, 
lead-coloured sea. Then it came down on us with a 
sudden rush, lightning flashing and thunder rolling in the 
black cave over our heads. The sea was ripped into short 
angry waves, and we lay suddenly over till our lee 
scuppers creamed with seething foam, wind and rain 
struck us at the same time, and the sails that had been 
