Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 3 (1899).djvu/135

Rh searched the east side of Davis Strait, working gradually northward; she experienced very adverse weather, gales of wind alternating with calms and dense fogs, and it was not till reaching the "middle-ice," that on the 16th of July she saw her first fish. Whales being abundant in this locality, she remained fishing there, but lost her first two owing to fog; better fortune, however, awaited her, for on the 18th she killed a fine fish of 11 ft. 6 in. bone, and between that date and the 27th had increased the number to five, all killed in the space of nine days. Further search proved vain, and no more Whales were seen by Capt. Milne after that time. Towards the end of August the ice began to mass in the Straits, and the 'Eclipse' had some difficulty in running south; but on the 7th September she bore up for home, accomplishing the passage in thirteen days. The 'Eclipse' had on board five Right Whales, twenty-three Walrus, and fifteen Bears (one of which was captured alive), producing 72 tons of oil and 90 cwt. of bone, a cargo worth something like £7000.

The 'Diana' was not so fortunate as the 'Eclipse'; she encountered the same heavy weather, and, after a visit to Melville Bay, put back to the "middle fishing," where she was successful in killing one good fish early in July; but, although several others were seen, this was the only one which fell to her lot. Proceeding to Elwin Bay, White Whales were found to be numerous, and 450 were killed up to the 16th of August, when search was made on the north side of the Sound for Walrus, but, owing to bad weather, with small success. Pond's Bay and Scott Bay were full of ice, and the 'Diana' was headed for Godhavn, which she reached on the 6th of September, and two days after bore up for home, reaching Dundee after a fine passage of fifteen days, with one Right Whale, four hundred and fifty White Whales, eighty large Walrus, and five Bears, one of which was alive. The yield of oil was 94 tons, and 22 cwt. of bone.

The 'Nova Zernbla' was still less successful, and lost valuable time on two occasions beset in the ice; her only good fortune was in Prince Regent's Inlet, where she killed five hundred and thirty-three White Whales, five Narwhals, and nine Walrus. Finally her take was five hundred and thirty-four White Whales, eleven Walrus (one of which was captured alive), and four Bears—yielding 78 tons of oil.