26o SPITSBERGEN chap, xix 



opposed Norway to Russia, a reminiscence, as we thought, 

 of the old hunters' rivalry in these parts. We asked about 

 the Russian trappers. He said none had ever been here 

 in his time. He thought the last came about fifty years 

 ago. He had never heard of Starashchin by name, but 

 knew about a certain Isak, who, with his family, lived summer 

 and winter for thirty-six years on Bell Sound, having camps 

 both on the north and south shores. Other Russian en- 

 campments he knew of near Cape Starashchin (where the 

 lake is called Russian Lake, and the river Russian River), 

 at Green Harbour by the west side of the entrance, at Coal 

 Haven in King's Bay, at Red Bay, at Liefde Bay on the 

 west side (a big camp), on the Ryss Islands and Hyperite 

 Island in Hinloopen Strait, at Cape Roos, on the Russian 

 Islands in Deevie Bay of Edge Land, at Whales Head in 

 Wybe Jans Water, and on the Dun Islands and neighbour- 

 ing coast near Horn Sound. 



This information was slowly extracted by help of the 

 chart. There were many digressions, and it was hard to 

 keep the good man's attention to the point. One digression 

 was caused by his own name. He calls himself Carl Wil- 

 lumsen Petersen, but we happened to notice " B. Pedersen " 

 embroidered on his socks. " So that's your name, is it ? " 

 we asked. " Yes, that's my name." " Pedersen ? " " No ! 

 Petersen with a ' /.' " " What does B stand for ? " " My 

 Christian name." "Then your name is B. Pedersen ?" " My 

 name is Carl Willumsen Petersen." "Then who is B. 

 Pedersen?" "I don't understand." "Were those socks 

 made for you ? " " Yes ! that's why my name is marked 

 on them." We gave it up, and returned to the Russians. 



On the morning of August 2, the Erling Jarl, a well- 

 appointed steamer with fifty-two tourists of various nation- 

 alities, Germans predominating, cast anchor off the point. 

 She was run by Captain Bade, an old Arctic hand, and the 



