TO SPITZBERGEN 81 



On the evening of July 2, the Semmoline, the 

 Norwegian jagt that Birkbeck hired, got under way ; 

 we followed the next morning (Sunday, the 3rd) — • 

 rendezvous Straednaes, or in case of the Stor Fjord being 

 blocked, Ice Sound — with Stabbel, who was pilot one 

 year on board the Recherche, the French exploring expedi- 

 tion, on board acting in the same capacity for us ; he 

 had been about 30 times to Spitzbergen and, as we found, 

 he knew the country very well. In the afternoon we 

 overtook our consort, and having (for us) a fair wind, she 

 was almost out of sight by 10 o'clock p.m. 



July 4. We saw Fulmars for the first time on the 

 voyage. 



5th. Supposed to be near Bear Island, but we saw 

 nothing of it, it was hazy ; large quantities of birds. 

 Some of the Gruillemots appeared to me to be different 

 from the U. troile. 



6th. No observation ; sighted land (Syd Cap) about 

 5.30 p.m., bearing N.E. ; 6 p.m., much drift ice ; 7 p.m. 

 the same. 11 p.m., much more ice sighted, bearing 

 from N.N.W to S.E., and quite high, indicating that Stor 

 Fjord was choked ; accordingly altered course to N.W. 

 Of course, the first meeting with the ice was immense 

 excitement ; everybody aloft except myself and the man 

 at the wheel, and a wonderful sight it was to see the 

 blocks drifting down slowly, at first small bits and far 

 apart, then bigger and closer, until at last it looked like 

 one close pack. We were much disappointed ; having 

 met with no ice about Bear Island, we had thought we 

 should certainly find nothing in Stor Fjord to stop us. 

 Thermometer in air, 33°, in water 40°, until we passed 

 by the first bit of ice, when it fell in a quarter of an 

 hour to 32°. 



July 7. Thick and no observation. 9 a.m., sighted 

 land from E. to N.E. Noon, land breaking out from 

 E. to N. 7 p.m., pilot recognized S. point of Bell Sound. 

 10 p.m., hove-to in thick fog ; very cold. Midnight, 

 steered for Bell Sound ; land faintly visible at times. 



July 8, 2 a.m. On nearing Bell Sound found it full 



G 



