TOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 
13 
boat. They were ingeniously coiled in a crate, four 
feet by one foot eight inches, termed the fore-beck, 
formed in the middle of the boat, and in another 
compartment, termed the after-beck, suited to the 
form of the boat at the stern. Each boat’s crew 
displayed great emulation in preparing their vessels ; 
and on finishing the tedious work, gave three cheers, 
in the exultation of their hopes. The foreganger 
of the harpoon being affixed to the line, the harpoon 
was placed in due form, the head lying upon the 
bollard (or upright post) let into the boat’s bow, 
and the shaft resting upon a spline with loops in 
it, called a mik, let into the gunwale. Four lances 
to despatch a captured fish, a small axe to cut away 
the line, in case of its getting foul when running 
out; a wooden fid to splice with, a tail-knife to 
cut a hole through the tail of the fish, for the con- 
venience of towing it, a small triangular flag, (termed 
a jack,) on a staff, to hoist in a boat fast to a fish, 
and six oars, fitted with grummets and tholes with 
muffles, constituted the equipment of each boat. 
These boats were then distributed, one over the 
stern, one over each quarter, one over each of 
the main chains, and two on the deck, ready to be 
hoisted out the moment they should be required. 
The beauty of the evening tempted me not to retire 
to rest, but to witness the ceremonies of a May -day 
morning, the celebration of which is an old esta 
Wished custom in Greenland-whale-ships. In the 
evening a Snow-bunting {Emberiza nivalis, Linn.,) 
was seen flying round the ship, and at length settled 
