This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 Excerpt: ...we steamed out to pick up the small fish we had caught we turned a large whale with a sucker (young one) towards him, and he secured it. However, he has had three blank seasons in this ship; so he deserves a slice of luck. Tuesday, July I8th.--The "mollie" continued till 6 a.m., when the "Diana" steamed off to the ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 Excerpt: ...we steamed out to pick up the small fish we had caught we turned a large whale with a sucker (young one) towards him, and he secured it. However, he has had three blank seasons in this ship; so he deserves a slice of luck. Tuesday, July I8th.--The "mollie" continued till 6 a.m., when the "Diana" steamed off to the South, and made fast close to the land. The ice broke up at midday, a piece about 20 miles long by three wide coming out, which we steamed round, and made fast again to the floe. R. tried for seals in the afternoon, but could not get near them. A walrus came close to the boat I was in, and I wounded him; he came up again, and attacked one of the oars. I, unfortunately, must have cut his wind-pipe with the shot, for he went down like a stone, and we had no chance of getting in a harpoon. From the deck-house I shot an og duke seal, which was gathered. The crew being under the impression that we had a Jonah on board, settled on the chief engineer, and so made an effigy of him; had a mock trial, and then marched with the "culprit," on a stretcher, to the captain, headed by two violins and a concertina, and a man dressed up as a parson, the ship's bell, in the meantime, tolling mournfully. They reported to the captain that they had tried him and found him guilty. They were told to burn him and hang him. The effigy was, therefore, taken forward, set on fire, and hung up to the fore yard, where he went off in pops, being loaded with cartridges. Several of us with rifles meanwhile blazed away at him. This seemed to please the crew immensely, but I doubt if it quite pleased the chief engineer. R. killed two seals, and I wounded another walrus, which was lost, although R. tried to get at him in a boat. The ice broke up at midni...
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