28 HUNTERS AND HUNTING IN THE ARCT 



trail of a large bear which, calmly lying on the 

 ice, appeared to have been awaiting our arrival. 

 But the bear was one of experience ; neither 

 the odour of seal-grease nor that of burnt 

 herrings induced it to approach. It carefully 

 kept its distance, rising from time to time on 

 its hind legs to study us. As it was altogether 

 out of range, I went ashore, accompanied by 

 several men, hoping to be able to approach it 

 more closely, but the bear trotted away as soon 

 as we moved towards it. 



Without difficulty I crossed the land ice, 

 seven or eight hundred yards wide at this spot. 

 Fragments of ice had formed a bridge over the 

 narrow canal which always separates land ice 

 from the shore, and I stepped on to firm ground 

 in the shadow of the high, wild and blackened 

 cliffs. After having examined these cliffs, we 

 commenced an ascent under fairly easy cir- 

 cumstances. The foothold, however, was rather 

 slimy and slippery due to the water constantly 

 trickling down from the glaciers. We found 

 several anemones and the yellow poppy of 

 Greenland. I was astonished to discover wide 

 spaces covered with the dwarfed whortleberry. 

 These small shrubs, not in flower at that season, 

 appeared more like rose-coloured grass than 

 anything else. Such a sight as this is not 



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