GREAT NUMBER OF WHALES. 
73 
hours. The atmosphere then partially cleared, 
and one of the boats was discovered with a jack 
flying, the signal of being “ fast.” The situa¬ 
tion, however, was a very unpromising one, the 
ice in that particular place being rugged, and Hill 
of small holes, which affording the whales conve¬ 
nient apertures for “ blowingand, at the same 
time, sheltering them from our observation and 
attacks, rendered the chance of capture very du¬ 
bious. This being the case, I recalled three 
boats out of seven, and sent them in pursuit of 
other whales, many of which were yet blowing 
around us. One of these boats soon afterwards 
rowed into the midst of a shoal of seven or eight 
of the largest size. They were lying at the sur¬ 
face, huddled together remarkably close; but the 
weather being very still and calm, they all took 
the alarm, while the amazed harpooner was stand¬ 
ing aiming his weapon first at one and then at 
another, until the whole shoal made their escape. 
They were so near, that the water thrown up by 
their tails flew in showers over the boat; while 
the sea for a hundred yards round, was filled with 
eddies and little whirlpools. 
I now ran the ship into a deep “ bight” of the 
ice, where the “ fast-boat” was lying, for the pur¬ 
pose of directing the operations of the harpooners, 
and looking out for the “ fast-fish.” Notwith- 
