154 aSEENLAND, 



I 



on board available for barter, they Tere soon at a high 



premium. 



Being early in the season, there was some little night ; 

 consequently the ship's deck was deserted soon after ten 

 o'clock by all except the quartermaster of the watch. 

 The next morning was bright and lovely, with a pleasant 

 breeze off the land ; the harbour in which we lay was 

 well land-locked, so that we were secure from any of 

 those williewaws so frequent in the fiords of this coast. 

 Snow lay thickly over all the land, the summer sun hav- 

 ing only denuded the surface of a few rocks ; the houses 

 of the settlement having a coating of black tar, had almost 

 entirely thrown off their winter covering, and stood out 

 well on the white background. The little chapel, with 

 its heaven-pointing turret, was buried on all sides in 

 snow, the windows and doors being the only spots free 

 from it ; a deep pathway, with a four-foot bank of snow 

 on either side, formed the approach to this house of God. 



As the evening closed in, the sight of the setting sun 

 was splendid. Close to us was the arm of a fiord, at the 

 upper end of which, as if wedged in between the rocks, 

 the sun was sinking. The few clouds immediately above 

 were of a deep golden hue, in striking contrast with 

 the dark purple of those some distance beyond ; the rays 

 reflected from white snow, dark rock, and blue water gave 

 innumerable and gorgeous tints ; the moon came peeping 

 over an adjoining headland ; the rocks were mirrored in 

 the water, which seemed rising to kiss the golden sun- 

 beams ; our boat lay idly by the shore ; and it was only 



