FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 
253 
The Jason came up astern to-night, and Bruce went on 
board to doctor a sailor who is ill. In the evening 
Captain Larsen came on board, followed later by his 
* Steersman 1 or first mate, and we had a jolly evening in 
the cabin, smoking and yarning. 
We gave them a parting salute on the pipes as their 
two boats rowed away to the Jason in the early morning. 
Thursday, 2gth. — Tired of drawing icebergs, and loafed 
about waiting for seals to come in sight. One has to look 
pretty sharp to get into one of the two boats at present 
used for sealing, for whenever they are ordered to be lowered 
there is a rush of about twice as many men as the boat will 
hold ; at least this is so in the morning. By the afternoon, 
when most of the crew have been out, there is not the 
same competition. We soon saw three seals a mile or so 
to windward, and lowered away. Allan, the Spectioneer 
(Spec, Dutch for fat or blubber), was Bow, Two and 
Three were boys, and Braidy, a jolly Irishman, stood at 
the steer-oar. It was cold work rowing at first, and 
coats and mits were none too warm for the first mile. 
Seal number one was asleep, and allowed Bow to shoot 
it without moving its head. We were anxious to bring 
some of these big seals' skins and anatomy home for 
museums, 1 so we pulled this one into the boat holus- 
bolus, in the hope that it might be preserved. The 
difficulty in doing so can be understood when it took ten 
men with a tackle to haul it on board-ship. With a lot 
1 I understand that none of these were brought home. They were de- 
stroyed or thrown overboard on the return voyage. 
