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NETTING LARGE GAME.

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shore, the other is held by a boat anchored at right angles with the shore, then to the sloop in a line with it. As the tide rises the whales come swimming up the estuary, and a boat having the spare net is hauled by a windlass towards the land; in this way the whales are caught in a three-sided net, the shore forming the fourth side. A smaller, but strong, drag-net is used within this park to enclose the herd, and some men in boats pursue the flock towards the strand, harpooning all they can. Dragged into shallow water, the rest fall an easy prey; but the cost of the nets is a heavy item of expense, owing to their great size and superior make. The scene is exciting enough, and the result a complete success. They obtained seventy-eight whales in one haul. But this year the fishermen had poor sport generally, and they attribute their want of better fortune to the fact that all the northern shores of Spitzbergen have been blocked with ice this year.

CHAPTER IX.

"Still pressing on beyond Tornea's Lake,
And Hecla, flaming through a waste of snow,
And farthest Greenland to the Pole itself,
Where, failing gradual, life at length goes out,
The Muse expands her solitary flight."

THOMSON.

Now we go seeking for deer up a long valley, accompanied by one of the men; we come to a rapid river, and find a herd of eighteen reindeer on the opposite side. Going up to the valley end we look down upon a scene of rare beauty, almost of enchantment. Spread out beneath us we see three large lakes fed by a mighty glacier which flows out close by. On either hand the scene is shut in by two ranges of steep and rugged mountains. We come upon more deer: two fine stags at one place, a small herd at another. We successfully stalk a single stag, but are too tired to attempt to carry it to the boats, some two miles off. We get back at 2 A.M. and mention our experience. Our friend at once starts in pursuit, while we promise to join him after a couple of hours' rest; but the ice shift

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ing, our schooner is carried to the northward. The noise and confusion, carrying warps out, raising of chains, and other severe work on deck, banishes sleep, and as soon as we can we land, resolved to join our friend, who is about five miles away. We take two men with us; they think we are right in attempting to make a short cut by descending one side of a steep ravine, which lies directly in our path, and after crossing a river which flows in the low ground, to ascend the opposite side of the ravine and so overtake the party we are in pursuit of. The steep side of the ravine is about five hundred feet in descent, very perpendicular, and by no means easylooking. We do not stop to weigh the propriety of going out of our way to the head of the valley, so we commence our journey downwards. At first we are compelled

to return, with difficulty, from some very false starts we have made; but as we have resolved, we go on, taking in as we go the charming details of the prospect. Great rugged rocks jut out from the sides on either hand;

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