GREENLAND  AND  ITS  DIFFICULTIES — RETURN  TO  SHET-
LAND-s-DAVIS'S  STRAITS  AND  ITS  TROUBLES DIFFER-
ENCE IN  STEAMERS  AND  THEIR  POWER — MELVILLE  BAY

AGAIN LOOKING      FOR      WHALES FAREWELL       TO       THE

LAND    OF    PERPETUAL    ICE   AND    SNOW.
THE  following  year,  1865,  I  went  in  the  Diana  of
Hull,  as  mate  with  Captain  Gravill,  to  the  seal
fishing  at  Greenland.  This  vessel  was  fitted  with  moderate
steam  power,  some  iron  tanks  and  many  large  casks  holding
upwards  of  six  hundred  gallons  each.  There  was  a  great
difference  between  this  ship  and  the  powerful  steamers
belonging  to  Dundee.
She  had  formerly  belonged  to  Bremen,  but  was  sold  to
Hull,  and  strengthened  for  the  Greenland  trade,  and  had
been  very  successful  on  former  voyages  with  Captain
Gravill.  We  left  Hull  with  the  crow's  nest  aloft,  which
attracted  much  attention,  and  everything  went  favourably
with  us  until  we  got  near  Shetland,  when  we  encountered  a
very  heavy  gale  from  the  north-west,  which  lasted  two  and
a  half  days.  When  it  subsided,  the  little  steam  power  we
had  was  very  useful  in  making  our  course  good,  as  we  had
been  blown  some  distance  to  leeward.  At  Lerwick  we
shipped  most  of  the  men  who  had  been  with  us  before,  as
they  desired  to  follow  the  fortunes  of  their  old  master,  well
knowing  that  if  a  successful  voyage  could  possibly  be  made
we  could  accomplish  it.  We  lay  a  few  days  as  the
weather  was  very  boisterous,  and  with  the  first  favourable
wind,  weighed  anchor  and  sailed  for  the  sealing  grounds.
