28 CONQUERING THE ARCTIC ICE 



to correct instruments, and Mr. Ditlevsen had found an eagle's 

 nest in which he was so interested that he too preferred 

 to stay. 



According to the advice of the natives, we went to the bottom 

 of a fjord and up a small river as far as we could go. We 

 had a delightful outing, but we saw no trace or sign of bears, 

 although we hunted everywhere, tramped long distances, and 

 moved our camp over to another river still further inland. 



After three days' camping we had to return to the ship, 

 footsore and not very pleased with our want of success. 



As no one there had seen any sign of bears, although they had 

 been roaming all over the country, we had to give up the hunt, 

 take in water, and be off. Mr. Ditlevsen's health had not 

 improved. We had all hoped that it might have been sea-sick- 

 ness, but it was plain that it was something worse. 



On June 13 we were again ready for sea, and started for 

 Sheerwater Bay, where we anchored for the night. We 

 reached the bay too late to take any observations for correcting 

 our chronometers, and as the sun refused to show itself the follow- 

 ing morning, we broke anchor and commenced beating out. 



However, it was no more than a commencement, for we took 

 the ground after the second tack. The fjord was narrow, and 

 I wanted to make the tacks as long as possible, but came too 

 near the shore. The ship touched ground while running up in 

 the wind and had hardly any headway on, but, although we at 

 once ran out a kedge anchor, we could not refloat her, as the 

 water was falling rapidly. We hove her down with tackle on 

 the masthead to make her list over shoreward, and then we 

 could do no more, but had to wait patiently until the water 

 again commenced rising. 



At low water we had a list of about 30 to 35 degrees, and I 

 was afraid that the water would run into her before she 

 could straighten up again. Everything got caulked, but nothing 

 happened, and with the rising water the ship slowly straightened 

 herself. 



At 3 P.M. we were almost afloat, and with all hands on the 

 winch, our sails thrown back, we swung up for the kedge. The 

 ship had not come to any harm, as we had been aground on 

 sand-bottom. 



The tide set so strongly into the fjord and the wind was so 



