226 SPITSBERGEN chap, xvi 



placed at our disposal. It was not a light boat, and the 

 sculls were anything but handy. There was a good deal of 

 sea on for Sassen Bay, and the waves caught us on the 

 quarter, so that we lopped and toppled about ; but we 

 pulled lustily on, and reached our camp without an " easy." 

 Then came the tug-of-war. Our united strength did not 

 suffice to haul the boat up, and the tide was rising. She 

 had to be left bumping against the shore. Fortunately she 

 was strong. Striking and packing camp was a labour : such 

 quantities of tins full of rocks, and such a general accumula- 

 tion, besides three tents, various heads and skins, collecting 

 tins full of spirit, and all the apparatus of scientific exploration 

 — in all, about six hundred pounds of stuff. This had to be 

 packed, carried down to the edge of the sea, and made 

 ready for lading. It was two hours' work. At intervals we 

 hauled the boat farther in as the tide rose. Just when the 

 tide began to turn I climbed into the boat and kept her 

 stern off the beach with a pole, whilst Gregory handed the 

 various things to me and I packed them till there was 

 barely room for the two of us to sit. We certainly could 

 not swing to the rowing nor reach well forward, for bundles 

 impeded every motion. 



At last we were able to shove off. I never before appre- 

 ciated the joy that captain and crew of a ship must feel 

 once the cargo is stored, the harbour quitted, and they safe 

 out at sea. Any tossing would have been a relief after the 

 loading. This, doubtless, is the secret of a sailor's love for 

 the sea. It is not the sea itself he likes, but the harbours 

 he hates, the loading and unloading, the getting in and out. 

 Thus one of the great puzzles of my life was solved — how 

 any one can be found to live on the sea ! 



Fortunately the wind had somewhat abated and the sea 

 gone down, but we had enough to do to pull our heavy 

 load along. Slowly the cliffs went by. Incredibly slowly 



