154 NEW LAND. 



gone in a couple of days' time ; so we gave up the idea of going 

 by that route, and decided to drive from Fort Juliana, across the 

 neck, to the inner part of Nordfjord. 



Before turning back, we scrambled up among the rocks, and 

 collected a great number of plants, particularly various species of 

 mosses, and we also saw traces of polar oxen. The whole of this 

 large peninsula, with its abundant vegetation, must be a favourite 

 summer resort of these animals, for in many places they had worn 

 quite broad paths. In winter, on the other hand, it would appear 

 that there are no animals out here ; they probably migrate farther 

 inland. 



The view from the slopes up there was enchanting. It was 

 absolutely still, and in the glittering sunshine the sea and ice 

 looked like a plain of gleaming silver. Thousands of birds were 

 pitching and diving in the lanes ; eider-ducks, long-tailed ducks, 

 black guillemots, little auks, and the ubiquitous gulls. They 

 piped and twittered, quacked and mewed, till it all sounded like 

 the hum of distant human voices. How homelike it suddenly 

 became up there, just Nordland over again, only without its 

 richness ! 



Early in the morning of June 6 we were again at Fort Juliana. 

 Just as we were about to turn in, we suddenly heard a man's voice 

 outside the tent, asking if he might come in. We were amazed, 

 needless to say, and called out, ' Yes, of course, come in ! ' It 

 was the doctor. He had felt ill while driving up the fjord, and 

 had now come on to the station, accompanied by Schei. 



We made him up a bed as well as circumstances would allow, 

 and got him into his sleeping-bag. After he had had some 

 pemmican lobscouse and coffee, his spirits improved, and he 

 remarked that he had come to a first-rate hotel, and already felt 

 better. He had become snow-blind while in the fjord, and as this 

 complaint is often very painful, and he had forgotten to take any 

 cocaine with him, he had no doubt suffered a good deal. He 

 also complained of pains in the chest, but thought that they would 

 soon pass over. After he had had something to eat, he crept into 

 his bag again, and to our joy it was not long before we heard that 

 he was asleep. 



