Chapter I: Front Matter

An eighteen-foot spear is the lance—half iron half wood. The pram is swung out; and Jensen is handed the lance. We reach the whale and Jensen makes a lunge, and the spear goes in five feet and is twisted out of his hand; the vast body rolls over, the tail rises up and up and comes down in a sea of foam.]

MODERN WHALING
&
BEAR-HUNTING

A RECORD OF PRESENT-DAY WHALING WITH
UP-TO-DATE APPLIANCES IN MANY PARTS
OF THE WORLD, AND OF BEAR
AND SEAL HUNTING IN THE
ARCTIC REGIONS

BY
W. G. BURN MURDOCH, F.R.S.G.S.
AUTHOR OF
“FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC”
“AN ILLUSTRATED PROCESSION OF SCOTTISH HISTORY”
“FROM EDINBURGH TO INDIA AND BURMAH”
_&c. &c. &c._

With 110 Illustrations
chiefly from Drawings & Photographs
by the Author

LONDON
SEELEY, SERVICE & CO. LIMITED
38 GREAT RUSSELL STREET
1917

PUBLISHERS’ NOTE

The readers of this book will be interested to learn that the expedition from Dundee which set out for the Antarctic regions in 1892 to the Weddell Sea, south and east of Graham’s Land, and in which the author of the present volume took part, was the first of its kind since the famous expedition commanded by Sir James Ross in 1842. Dr W. S. Bruce, the distinguished polar traveller and oceanographer, was the scientific naturalist, and Mr Burn Murdoch, the author of this volume, was the artist and historian of the expedition, which is described by his pen in “From Edinburgh to the Antarctic.” It consisted of three whaling vessels specially built of great strength to withstand ice pressure, barque rigged and fitted with auxiliary steam power. They were accompanied by a Norwegian barque of similar type. The chief object of the expedition was the capture of the Right or Bowhead whale by old methods, from small boats. For three months these vessels were continuously amongst the thick pack ice and enormous bergs on the east side of Graham’s Land.

The publication of the above-mentioned book, and lectures by Dr Bruce and Mr Burn Murdoch, revived both at home and abroad interest in the Antarctic regions, and in 1897 the Belgica expedition followed in their wake, and this again was followed by expeditions of various European nations.

During the expedition of 1892-1893 vast numbers of the largest-sized finner whales were observed in the neighbourhood of Erebus and Terror Gulf, and between South Georgia and the South Shetland Islands. The report brought home of these whales being in such numbers led to the development of the present great whaling industry in the Southern Seas. Companies were formed and modern steam whalers were sent South to hunt these powerful rorquals or finner whales. The extent of this industry and the methods of modern whaling are described in the first part of this volume.

In the second part, which is concerned principally with bear-hunting in the Arctic regions, some description is also given of the old style of harpooning narwhals from small boats.

* * * * *

The publication of this volume has been held over owing to the war. Part of the text was printed off, and it contains references to events, current at the time, which, without this explanation, might puzzle the reader. The prices of the products of the whaling industry are for the same reason more up to date in the Appendix than in the text.

LIST OF CONTENTS

PAGE

CHAPTER I

Planning a Modern Whaler—Towing a Whale—Our Whaler, the
Haldane, in Shelter—Balta Sound, Shetland—We plan a Company—Our
New Whaler, the St Ebba, in Tonsberg 17

CHAPTER II

Norway to Tonsberg—Comparison between the Old Viking Ships
and our Modern Vessel—Similarity of Lines—Modern Methods
of Whaling—“Modern Whales” compared with Old Style—Whales,
Sperm—Right Whales—Finners—Tackling a Finner with Old Style
of Gear—Whaling Stations—Utilisation of Whole Carcass—Whale
Products—Modern Whaling in Southern Hemisphere—Stations round
the World—Decrease and Increase in Numbers of Whales—Natural
Close Season—Increase of Biscayan Whale 21

CHAPTER III

In Southern Norway—Building our Whaler—Cutting Lance
Shafts—Tanks—Whale Lines—Outfit for Prolonged Cruise—Rigging
and Arrangements of Hull—Our Harpoon Guns—The Henriksens
of Tonsberg—Svend Foyn inventor—The Henriksen Works—Early
Experiments with Modern Harpoon—Tonsberg Yacht Club—Tonsberg
Whaling Captains—Successors of Svend Foyn—Development of
Modern Whaling in South Atlantic—Weary Waiting—Trial Run
of Engine—Provisioning—At the Rope Factory—Spinning our
Whale Lines—Norwegian Hospitality—The St Ebba’s First
Journey—Studying Charts—The Winch 27

CHAPTER IV

Clear St Ebba from Quay Side—Anchor in Sheltered Fiord—Getting
our Fishing Gear, Guns, etc., in order—Adjusting Compass—Final
Provisioning—Ammunition—The Islands in the South Atlantic we
hope to visit—A Fault in our Accounts—Harpoon Gun Drill 38

CHAPTER V

Leave South Norway for the Shetlands—Anchors foul—At Sea at
Last—Down the Skagerak in Calm—Picking up Lights—Unpromising
Weather—Half a Gale—Digging into same Hole—Full Gale—St Ebba
a Dry Ship—Hove to—A Sick Crew—Our Cook—Engine will not
start—Drifting across North Sea to Yorkshire Coast—Recollection
of a Previous Whaling Voyage—All Hands to Air Pump 45

CHAPTER VI

Drifting—Gale falling—Engines start—Set Sail—The Name St
Ebba—We put aside our Plans for Arctic Whaling—Fair Isle
Light—Sumburgh Light—Bressay and Lerwick—Quiet and Greyness of
Lerwick—Shetland Anæmic 53

CHAPTER VII

The Waiting Part of Whaling—Before “grassing a Fish”—Waiting in
Japanese Seas—Poultry on a Whaler—Small Whale Yarn—Tied up in
Lerwick—“Customs” on Board—“Tearing Tartan”—Entangled in Red
Tape—Are we Pirates?—A Mass of Fish and Cormorants—Shetlands
held in Pawn—A Burly Type of Old Whaler—About the Old Dundee
Whaling Captains—The Registrar braves a Storm—Herring Catchers
_versus_ Whalers—British Restrictions on Whaling Industry 57

CHAPTER VIII

Visit to R. C. Haldane at Lochend—Return to St Ebba—Captain
Henriksen entertains the Board of Trade Inspector—Registers
our Tonnage at Sixty-nine Tons—A Sunday Saturnalia of
Shag Shooting—How to cook Shag (Cormorants)—The Quiet of
Lochend—Haldane’s White House, Peat Fire and Illuminated
Missals—Stories—Our Shetland Whaling Station 64

CHAPTER IX

Extracts from Whaling Log and Sketch-Book—In Shetland—Sea-Trout
in the Voe—The Whaler Haldane calls for the Writer—The
Forty-Mile Limit—Seals and Birds—The Modern Whale
Gun—Difficulty of shooting it—Various Whales—Their
Names—Idyllic Sea—A Bad Day for Whaling—Hunting—Freedom of the
Sea—Try to blow up Mackerel—Sabbath Calm—No Whales—Fascination
of watching for a Blow—Hark back to Shetland—New Departure—A
Bag of Wind—Across the Limit again—Fine Weather—Æsthetics on a
Whaler—A Blast, Whales at last!—A Rough Chase—A Bull’s Eye at
Forty Yards—Lost! 68

CHAPTER X

Better Luck—Spectacular Effect—Whales and Rainbow—On
Chase—The Sea teems with Life—Our Chance comes—Heart-stopping
Excitement—A Close Shave—In Tow—Seventy Tons in the Basket—Ten
Whales in a Day—Vexatious Government Restriction—Uses of Whale
Meat, Oil, and some Values in £ s. d. 80

CHAPTER XI

Whaling has its seamy Side—A Whale Hunt—Colours of the Sea
and Whales—In Tow—Whale is killed—Another Whale—“Thrilling
Dangers” of Whaling and Exceptional Behaviour of Whales—Dangers
of Whaling—Whale Steak—Whale Guano as Fertiliser—Lancing a
Whale—Exquisite Colour of Whales—Pedigree of Whales—Rolling
Home, Two Whales in Tow 85

CHAPTER XII

Back to the St Ebba on West of Shetland—Fine Weather—No
Competition—All Hands busy but no Whales—Our Last Night in
Port—Out to the West—The Ramna Stacks as Targets for H.M.S.—A
Sailing Ship once more 97

CHAPTER XIII

A Fine Weather Chantey “California”—Back to Lochend—Cormorant
Hash—Up Anchor and leave the Shetlands—Cape
Wrath—Lewis—Dunvegan—Picking up Lights—South to Tobermory—Our
West Coast on a Dark Night—Ardnamurchan and Coll—Morar,
the Most Beautiful Country in the World—Drimnin next, Glen
Morven—Tobermory—Relatives and the Lady of Aros Castle 102

CHAPTER XIV

The British Fleet at Oban—A Union Jack made in Norway—St George
_versus_ Imperial Idea—Violation of British Constitution—John
Knox a Sunday Golfer—Wives at Sea—A Yarn—A Spy in Tobermory—The
Tobermory Policeman 110

CHAPTER XV

Harvest Moon—Across the Irish Sea—Belfast—Origin of our Name
Scotland—Erin go Bragh—What brought us to Ulster Day and the
Covenant—The Crew’s Adventures—Greenhorns in Ballymacarack
Street—Down Channel for the Azores—Spun Yarn—Deep-sea
Swell—Inspection of Rifles 115

CHAPTER XVI

N.E. Gale—“Oot o’ this intil a waur”—Into Deep Soundings—It
Blows Hard—Black Night and Phosphorescent Wake—Oil on the
Waters—Driving through—A Scrap of Sail—Attempt at Dolphin
Spearing—A Whale in Phosphorescent Sea—An Idyllic Sunday—A
Shoppie or Sale of Clothes from the Slop Chest—Æsthetic
Music—Grieg on a Melodeon—M’Crimmon on Practice Chanter—Men who
have dreamed—A Demonstration on flensing a Whale—Dolphin Steak
and Onions—The Islands of the World 122

CHAPTER XVII

A New Land (to us)—St Michael of the Azores—Bens and
Glens—Colour of the Island—Portuguese Pilot—Talk by Signs—About
Sperm Whales—Ponta Delgada—Its Remarkable Beauty—Arcades—Colour
Reflections—The Inner Harbour—Sea Fishing—Bonita—A Trammel
Net—Hunting for Whales round the Island—Distress Signals—The
Wreck 130

CHAPTER XVIII

Notes about the Island—Compared with Madeira—Its
Sights—The Streets of Delgada—A Café—Vino Tinto—Guitar
Melody—Costumes—Chase Small Whales—Whales’ Ocean Routes—“The
Ladies’ Gulf” 139

CHAPTER XIX

A Sudden Gale—Driving on to a Lee Shore—Bad Night—Engine
Trouble—Killers attacking Whale—Recollections of the
Antarctic—Oddments—An Eight-Foot Ray or Skate—A Jaunt on
Shore—The Writer’s Excursion to “The Seven Cities”—Up the
Hills—Wind up Affairs in Delgada—Up Anchor 146

CHAPTER XX

Leave the Azores and San Miguel—Madeira in Prospect and
Tunny Fishing—Whales at Last!—Sperm—A Chase—Prospects of
Success—Long Chase—Fast!—A Straight Shot—A Bull Sperm—Cutting
up a Sperm Whale’s Anatomy—Sharks—Creeling a Shark
Single-handed—Spermaceti Oil—Blubber like Marble—Cooking
Process—£. s. d. on the Horizon—Sharks and Pilot Fish—General
Satisfaction—Whaling off Madeira 154

CHAPTER XXI

Madeira at Dawn from the Sea—Description—Funchal Flowers—Tunny
Fishing—Early Morning Start—Splendid Colours of Native Boats
and Crews—Small Fry for Bait—A Large Tunny caught by next
Boat—Our Tunny and Pulley-haul Fight—Sailing Back 165

CHAPTER XXII

We leave the North Atlantic—Engine Troubles—Slow Voyage to Cape
Town—New Engineer puts Diesel Engine right—Up the East Coast of
Africa—The Seychelles Islands—Many Whales—We decide to make a
Land Station—Apply to Government for Licence 176

CHAPTER XXIII

Going to the Arctic—Objects in View—Our Little Company in
the Fonix—Rough Weather—The First Ice—Draw for Watches—A
Party lost in the Ice and a possible Cure for Scurvy—A
Lunatic in the Ice—The Coming Spanish Arctic Expedition—Clay
Pigeons—Fencing—We aim at Shannon Island—North-East
Greenland—Ice Floes and Mist 179

CHAPTER XXIV

Arctic Ice compared to Antarctic Ice—Colours of the Floes—First
Blood—Habits of Arctic Seals compared with those of the
Antarctic—Stopped in the Floes—Cobalt Ice Water—White Bears’
“Protective Colouring”?—Watching a Bear Hunt—Flea of _Ursus
Maritimus_—Scoresby on the Danger of Bear-hunting 187

CHAPTER XXV

Six Bears in the Twenty-four Hours—A Bear’s Meal—C. A.
Hamilton’s Veteran Bear—The Writer and a Bear stalk each
other—Tips for Animal Painters—Sensation facing a Bear at Three
in the Morning—Bear Flesh as Food—The colour of the Polar
Regions—Method of pulling a live Bear on Board—A Bear eating a
Seal 196

CHAPTER XXVI

Waiting for Whales—Narwhals at last!—Our She-Cook—An Arctic
Sanatorium—A Shark—Arctic Seals and Seals of the Antarctic—Our
Bear’s Food—_L’éscrime_—Rifle, Pistol, Lasso—Lasso our
Starboard Bear—Morning Watch in the Ice—Ivory Gulls, Fulmars,
Skuas—Small Life—More Bears—A Bear Stalk before Breakfast—Fears
about reaching Greenland—Bears on Board—Cachés in Franz Joseph
Land—Bear Stories—“The Ends of our Garden” 204

CHAPTER XXVII

A Walk on the Floe—Bear takes a Football—Lasso Practice—A Piece
of Driftwood—The Bagpipes—Pushing West—A Cold Bath—Chasing a
Bear and Cubs—Lost in Mist—Clever Mother Bear—Bear-hunting, a
Man killed—Expectations of Walrus 219

CHAPTER XXVIII

A Narwhal and a Bear in the Bag—Missing Whales—Old Style
of Whale Gun—Svend Foyn’s Cure for Toothache—Is Whaling an
“Industry” or a “Speculation”?—Whales “Tail up”—Excitement
of Whaling—Svend Foyn overboard—Floe Rats—Bears struggle
for Freedom—Size and Strength of Bears—The Silence of the
Arctic—Seals—Painting Ice Effects—Our Gifted Steward and our
Vivandière on the Ice—A Bear on the Floe Edge 231

CHAPTER XXIX

Arctic and Antarctic Floes compared—The Writer, the Bear and
our “She-Cook”—Bear bids for Freedom—Rope-throwing—An Artist’s
Points in a Little Seal Stalk—Man and his Works in Arctic and
Antarctic—Whales’ Food 240

CHAPTER XXX

On Sitting up late—Harp Seals—Young Bears and Seniors—A Family
Party—An Ice Grotto—A Hot Grog and Another Bear—A Tight Place 248

CHAPTER XXXI

All Hands to secure the Bears—Two Bear Cubs captured—Invidious
Comparisons between the Starboard and Port Bear—Another
Bear for the Larder—Greenland’s Icy Mountains—A Blue
Seal—“Starboard” makes more Trouble—A Spanish Yarn—Why the Harp
Seal blows its Nose 256

CHAPTER XXXII

Sports on the Floe—Notes on Protective Coloration 263

CHAPTER XXXIII

Bear Cubs, “Christabel” and “William the Silent”—Bottle-nose
Whales—Bear _versus_ Bull—The Dons back the Bull!—Getting out
of the Pack to Open Water—Meet Spitzbergen Ice 276

CHAPTER XXXIV

We get out of the Ice—Open Sea again—Spanish Airs—Killers—A
Whaler’s Esperanto—Killers attacking a Rorqual—A Gleam of
Sun—Then Rough Weather—Then Shelter in a Fiord—Beards off and
Shore Togs—Our Engineer’s Children and the Bagpipes 281

CHAPTER XXXV

Trömso again—Down the Coast—Selling our Bears—Bears
Escape—Eat the Fish in Market-place—We put our Bears into
New Cages—Notes amongst the Norwegian Islands—Recollections
of Hunting—Fishing—Music—A Viking Air—Talk in the
Smoking-room—Drawings of Whale’s Structure 287

CHAPTER XXXVI

Killers—Stomach of Whales—Grampuses and Whales—William and the
Mandolin—The “Prophet”—Hard Waves—Back to Trömso 291

CHAPTER XXXVII

Teetotal Travellers—Fate of the Bears—Bears at
large—Trondhjem—Folk Songs 300

CHAPTER XXXVIII

Whalebone—Whales’ Food—Head of Sperm Whale—Value of Whale Oil 308