XL] PTARMIGAN. 197 



fire ; linen taken out of boiling water, instantly stiffens to 

 the consistency of a wooden hoard ; and heated stones will 

 not prevent the sheets of the bed from freezing. If these 

 are the effects of the climate within an air-tight, fire-warmed, 

 crowded hut — what must they be among the dark, storm- 

 lashed mountain-peaks outside ? 



It was now time to think of going south again ; we had 

 spent many more days on the voyage to Spitzbergen than I 

 had expected, and I was continually haunted by the dread 

 of your becoming anxious at not hearing from us. It was a 

 great disappointment to be obliged to return without having 

 got any deer ; but your peace of mind was of more conse- 

 quence to me than a ship-load of horns ; and accordingly we 

 decided on not remaining more than another day in our 

 present berth leaving it still an open question whether we 

 should not run up to Magdalena Bay, if the weather proved 

 very inviting, the last thing before quitting for ever the 

 Spitzbergen shores. 



We had killed nothing as yet, except a few eider ducks, 

 and one or two ice-birds — the most graceful winged creatures 

 I have ever seen, with immensely long pinions, and plumage 

 of spotless white. Although enormous seals from time to 

 time used to lift their wise, grave faces above the water, with 

 the dignity of sea-gods, none of us had any very great incli- 

 nation to slay such rational human-looking creatures \ and 

 — with the exception of these and a white fish, a species of 

 whale — no other living thing had been visible. On the very 

 morning, however, of the day settled for our departure, Fitz 

 came down from a solitary expedition up a hill with the 

 news of his having seen some ptarmigan. Having taken a 

 rifle with him instead of a gun, he had not been able to shoot 

 more than one, which he had brought back in triumph as 

 proof of the authenticity of his report; but the extreme 

 juvenility of his victim hardly permitted us to identify the 

 species j the hole made by the bullet being about the same 

 size as the bird. Nevertheless, the slightest prospect of 

 obtaining a supply of fresh meat was enough to reconcile us 



