our course.

everything that came in its way. To us, this novel form of water-spout was grand in the extreme. That afternoon the elements proved impossible to contend with; we, who had grown accustomed to the gale, by daily contact with its force, were at length compelled reluctantly to give in, beaten in the long struggle. We hove-to in company with some ships bound north possibly, and others, like ourselves, bound towards the south; but these, like ourselves, were unable to endure the force of the tempest. As the wind began to lull, by comparison be it said, we again set out on This time we stood towards Whitby lights, and we caught sight of them just at the proper moment, for we were in ground swell before we got the schooner round. There are few vessels afloat that could weather a point in a gale better or with the ease of our little vessel, and she well maintains her reputation; but this night she has to grapple with the gale, now grown more fierce than ever, and in an evil moment we ship a sea! The water runs well over the taffrail, carrying with it the frail woodwork, and bursting out her sides and gunwale, carrying all before it. Of her two boats, one was soon washed away, the other was shivered to pieces. The galley shifted with the shock was slewed round, and so overturned, that evidently there can be no cooking there to-morrow, to

the great consternation of our cook. This commotion is too much; so there is nothing for us now but to heave to, and put the ship to rights. Once again she rides upon the waves like a duck, and the angry sea roaring in the gale throws its spray in violent wrath against the little vessel; but she has recovered her selfpossession wonderfully, and as she rises to the waves once more, shivering no doubt from stem to stern, as she comes up out of the trough of the sea, her little bows seem to the hardy sailors to swell with proud and defiant indignation, as she mounts over the angry waters. Well done! they cry, in exultant tones, as they watch every movement of the craft, now once more plunging madly forward. Not a drop of water comes on board, as she floats supremely over the overwhelming masses of water surging heavily around us. In the far distance we see a goodly number of ships anchored under the lee of the land, and the Humber is well lined with weather-bound vessels, as we beat up the harbour in the afternoon; well pleased, indeed, are we to escape at last out of the turmoil of the sea, where we have been so long contending.

We now sail along with a garland hanging from the mast-head, worn in true old whaler fashion.

Now a bag is produced on board, into which we drop our sixpences for the boys of the relations of our

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crew; this is another old custom which has long since fallen into ill-merited neglect; but we were careful to observe all the conditions of the ancient ceremonies, and great was the excitement on board when the moment came for the youths to contend for the possession of our garland. This was a tastefully constructed wreath of gay-coloured ribands, binding a splendid pair of reindeer antlers they had carried home for the occasion. At a given signal the lads rushed into the rigging, and strove, with might and main, to reach the prize, which hung suspended from the mast-head. At first the contention was general; presently the object of all seemed to be to prevent, if possible, the likely hands from clutching the garland, now that the others could no longer hope to win it for themselves. Then the fun grew fast and furious, and we watched, with the keenest interest, as the contest waged aloft came to a speedy termination by the winner at last securing the gaudy badge. As the struggle came to a close, we found ourselves close by the landing-place. where a crowd of lads had already assembled to welcome our return; and the fine old sca-port town sent down its quota of inhabitants to give us a hearty greeting. In a few minutes more we were made securely fast to a little steam tug-boat, under whose guidance we found our dock, where but little time was

lost in stripping our schooner of all her gay attire, and she was left secure, resting for a season until another spring would find her ready for an enterprise we hope will be as successful and inspiriting as our own had been. With the schooner will go our most hearty good wishes, and that her next venture be as prosperous as ours had been, is our unfeigned wish.

The total number of animals taken during the voyage was two hundred and thirty-seven seals, two whales, two narwhal, two bears, and thirty-three reindeer, besides a large number of smaller game, birds, &c.

Surely it only requires a personal acquaintance with the trifling difficulties presented by the navigation of these Spitzbergen seas to satisfy any unprejudiced person respecting the superiority of this route óver any other known Arctic highway. To gain the northern shore of Spitzbergen is a matter of easy attainment in most years, as may be proved by the regular appearance there, year after year, of a few poorly equipped fishing vessels, built of ordinary pine wood and of small tonnage, in no way specially fitted for contending with the ice. There is no kind of inducement to the captains of these little vessels to go beyond the shores and bays of Spitzbergen, and it is therefore not to be wondered

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at that they should return home year after year from high latitudes without adding any new facts to our knowledge of Arctic geography. To the class of men we met with on the coast, a single hour devoted to scientific research would be simply loss of precious time; and as the day arrives when they find it expedient to put their ships about for home, they go south again utterly indifferent to the interest that attaches at the present time to the question of circumpolar exploration, in spite of the admirable efforts of M. Mohn, of meteorological celebrity. It may be that in severe seasons these whalers have difficulties to contend with, and we do not seek to conceal the fact that there are difficulties of no ordinary kind, or no small degree, to be encountered; but contrasting the very worst misadventures to which their boats are liable to be exposed in some exceptional years, we say that they are nothing when compared with any ordinary voyage to or returning from Smith's Sound. Are not the Arctic books, written by McClintock and others, full of records of heroic endurance and privations? whose very recital fills the mind with admiration for the men who have borne the toil, while our heart recoils from willingly consenting again, for all the scientific gain that is to accrue to the student at home, that men should go on any expedition that