382 



THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 



[CHAr. 



will not enrich Arctic literature with any new bear stories — 

 a very sensible difficulty for the writer himself. Wolves, on the 

 other hand, occur on the tundra in sufficient abundance, even if 

 one or other of the wolves found in mist and drifting snow, 

 and saluted with shot, turned out, on a critical determination of 

 species, to be our own dogs. At least, this was the case with the 

 " wolf," that inveigled one of the crew into shooting a ball one 

 dark night right through the thermometer case, fortunately 

 without injuring the instruments, and with no other result than 

 that he had afterwards to bear an endless number of jokes from 



'* 



\ M 



»ff 



CHUKCH BONE-CARVINGS. 



(Tlie two largest figures represent bears.) 



his comrades on account of his wolf-hunt. Foxes, white, red 

 and black, also occurred here in great numbers, but they were 

 at that season difficult to get at, and besides they had perhaps 

 withdrawn from the coast. Hares, on the other hand, maintained 

 themselves during the whole winter at Yinretlen, by day partly 

 out on the ice partly on the cape, by night in the neighbourhood 

 of the tents. Sweepings and offal from the proceeds of the 

 chase had there produced a vegetation, which, though concealed 

 by snow, yielded to the hares in winter a more abundant supply 



