observed on Waigats, ^c. 189 



the list to be obtained there. The island runs from north- 

 west to south-east, and is formed by a long narrow reef of 

 rock which looks like old limestone, and is tilted to an 

 angle of 45° or 50° from north-east (lowest) to south-west. 

 Except in one or two places the rock was all covered with 

 rolling tundra of a more mossy nature than that on Waigats, 

 and thickly studded with lakes of all sizes, from some 700 

 yards across to little tarns. It formed, therefore, a perfect 

 breeding-place for Divers, and both the Black- and Red- 

 throated species were more plentiful than we have ever seen 

 them before. A list of the various birds observed is given on 

 p. 208. We were fortunate in getting away at the time we 

 did, for it would have been impossible to leave the shore half 

 an hour later, and an hour after our departure the sea was 

 seen to be breaking two fathoms deep a mile from the shore. 

 The changes of weather in these latitudes are very rapid, and 

 fully justified the anxiety our good Captain Kjeldsen so 

 often expressed for what he described as a '^ good anchora- 

 tion." 



Having thus been obliged to give up our original plans, 

 and the season being so far advanced, we decided to proceed 

 to Novaya Zemlya, and arrived at Belootchia Bay on the 

 south-west coast, July 22nd, a place visited by us in 1895. 

 During a trip up the river " Saxon,'" which runs into the 

 head of the bay, we came across several parties of young 

 and moulting Geese, out of which we shot thirty-six, a 

 slaughter not so unnecessary as it may appear, for all of us 

 had been living on tinned meats for a month, and absolutely 

 required fresh food. Young White-fronted or Beau Geese 

 roasted, and larded with a little bacon, not only afford a 

 pleasant change in the north, but would be weljomed at 

 table at home. 



From Belootchia Bay we steamed up the west coast to 

 Matotschin Scharr, and anchored in Cairn Bay at the west 

 entrance to the Straits. On shore here I saw a Stint, but 

 the light was too bad to determine whether a Temminck's or 

 Little Stint, and a Samoyed dog, which persisted in giving 

 me the pleasure of its company, prevented my getting a 



