OUR CO^IMISSARIAT. 95 



hanging in the shrouds, rabbits and foxes were sus- 

 pended in clusters from the rigging, and the hearty 

 appetites and vigorous digestions which a bracing air 

 and hard work had given us, were not only amply pro- 

 vided for in the present, but seemed likely to be sup- 

 plied in the future. The hunters rarely came home 

 empty-handed. Reindeer in herds of tens and fifties 

 were reported upon every return of the sportsmen. 

 Jensen, who had camped out several days on the 

 hunting-grounds, had already cached the flesh of about 

 twenty animals, besides those which had been brought 

 on board. In a single hour I had killed three with 

 my own hands. Both men and dogs were well pro- 

 vided. The dogs, which, according to Esquimau cus- 

 tom, were only fed every second day, often received 

 an entire reindeer at a single meal. They were very 

 ravenous, and, having been much reduced by their 

 hard life at sea, they caused an immense drain upon 

 our resources. 



My journal mentions, with daily increasing impa- 

 tience, the almost constant prevalence of strong north- 

 east winds, which embarrassed us during this period ; 

 but at length the wind set in from the opposite direc- 

 tion, and, breaking up the young ice about us, jammed 

 us upon the rocks. If there was little consolation in 

 the circumstance of our situation being thus altered 

 for the worse, there was at least novelty in the ca- 

 price of the weather. For once, at least, the uniform 

 " N. E." had been changed in the proper column of the 

 log-book. It was not without difficulty that we suc- 

 ceeded in relieving the schooner from the unpleasant 

 predicament. 



While these preparations for the winter were being 

 made, I must not forget the astronomer and his little 



