232 HOMEWARD BOUND 



before this could be accomplished the gale came upon us, 

 and the ship reeled as the squall struck her, first on the 

 starboard and then on the port side. By the time the 

 canvas had been taken in, the squall had become violent ; 

 the sea rose, peals of thunder followed each other rapidly, 

 and rain came down in torrents. A still more extra- 

 ordinary sight presented itself shortly afterwards — a 

 waterspout. About half a mile from the ship the clouds 

 came down in a funnel, and deluges of rain appeared to 

 fall under it, the sea being lashed into foam as if ten 

 thousand millstones had been suddenly hurled into it. It 

 was some hours before the wind settled down again ; but 

 it proved to be a favourable one, and we made fair 

 progress homewards through a Scotch mist from the 

 Arctic ice. 



For two days we had fog and fair wind, then came 

 wind and sunshine. On the 3rd of August a few flocks 

 of phalaropes passed overhead, and on the 4th a pair of 

 snowy owls alighted on the ship. We saw also several 

 kittiwake gulls and pomatorhine skuas. Then from the 

 8th of August to the 29th came three dreary weeks, 

 during which the ship wearily toiled on, against heavy 

 gales and contrary winds, but ever and anon came a fair 

 breeze, to prevent us despairing altogether of ever reach- 

 ing Elsinore. It seemed hopeless often enough. Various 

 were the tacks the captain tried on the way. One day 

 we would lie-to and let the good ship drift back with the 

 heavy gale towards Kolguev Island, another we would 

 tear along, blown forward by an equally fierce wind, 

 which we welcomed, for it was bearing us homeward. 

 Now we would lie motionless with sails idly flapping 

 against the masts, and again we would be cutting the 

 water with a favourable breeze impelling us on. As we 

 approached the North Cape the weather grew wilder; it 



