88 
VOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 
one hundred and fifty yards from us, we saw the 
vapour of its breathing issue from a small opening in 
the ice ; like smoke from a chimney, it rose until it 
mingled with, and was lost in the atmosphere, and, 
immediately afterwards, we beheld the object of 
our pursuit. Never even in my youth, when num- 
bered among the keenest of sportsmen, did I feel 
so much delight at the sight of game as on this 
occasion. The boat was instantly brought to the 
edge of the ice, and the harpooner, being armed with 
his weapon while the boat’s crew and myself con- 
veyed line, we all ran to the spot where the fish was 
lying ; it appeared much above the surface of the 
water, and had a harpoon already attached to it ; 
our harpooner soon drove his weapon into its moun- 
tain back, when the fish instantly went under the ice, 
and ran out two lines, with a velocity truly astonish- 
ing, for its friction in passing round the bollard 
enveloped us in smoke. The fish rose to breath in 
a small opening, about half a mile distant ; and the 
contrast of its black arched back, rising above the 
surface of ice, which was covered with the purest 
white, had a most extraordinary appearance. The 
crew of a boat stationed in a bight where we had 
left the ship, pursuing a similar plan, carried with 
them a harpoon and lines, and soon struck it again, 
but it swam off with equal rapidity, until it rose 
about a quarter of a mile from us. Though I now 
hastened with two lances towards the spot, it went 
down tail foremost before I arrived, and therefore 
I returned to the boat, and found that it had not 
