OLD WHALING CAPTAINS. 
55 
in many Arctic voyages, seemed to take a special pride 
in the work he was busy upon. At one time he actually 
determined to resign his official post for a season, and 
come with us; the Trinity Board, entering fully into 
the spirit that actuated him, agreed to keep his office, 
by deputy, during his absence. But the fates ruled 
otherwise; he has given hostages to fortune, and his 
wife and family held him back. We were the losers 
by this resolve, for his great experience in the naviga¬ 
tion of the northern seas, coupled with his knowledge 
of the curious and ever-changing phenomena of the 
Arctic weather in relation to the movements of the ice 
in the far north (a knowledge to be gained only by 
long experience and the keenest interest in the subject) 
would have been to us of the greatest possible value ; 
for it is needless to say, that there is no book existing, 
except, perhaps, the valuable contributions of Scoresby, 
from whose pages we could hope to draw the requisite 
instructions to guide us in moments of difficulty or 
danger, much less to direct us in the course we should 
pursue when in doubt. These old whaling captains 
alone possess the requisite knowledge at the present 
time, and men of science have but little opportunity 
of formulating the valuable observations in daily use 
amongst these hardy explorers, won by long acquaint¬ 
ance with the dangers to which they are daily exposed ; 
