WALRUS-CATCHING. NEW WATERS. 211 



we passed four or five skulls and various fragments of the skeletons 

 belonging to them, and the farther we went the more we saw of 

 such remains, but of living oxen or reindeer not a trace. 



At some time or other, there must have been very large herds 

 of these animals about, for I never saw such a quantity of remains 

 anywhere else, and there must, therefore, be some particular reason 

 for their extinction ; but what ? It is a riddle which can hardly be 

 solved. Beasts of prey had dragged away the greater part of the 

 skeletons, but the remains which we found showed no sign that 

 violence had been the cause of death. How old the skulls may 

 have been it was not easy to say ; but excrements and tracks in 

 the sand seemed to point to the conclusion, that it was not so many 

 years since the animals had haunted these parts. 



We had anchored at high water, and as the tide went down 

 a long sandbank became visible, which at low tide was quite 

 dry, for a very long distance up the fjord. In the shoal water 

 here were myriads of sea-birds, splashing and swimming about, 

 thoroughly enjoying themselves in the wash of the big river which 

 came from the main valley. In the gap in the mountains, where 

 the valley trended away to the west, was a glacier streaming 

 down the perpendicular walls of rock, and this fell out into the 

 river, which rushed, foaming and thundering, past it. 



Of the big-game shooting, on which we had counted, there was 

 nothing; all we did was to miss a couple of hares which were 

 hopping about in the dusk. This was hardly the sort of thing to 

 grow fat on. 



Next morning we went down to the fjord, where the other 

 shooting party soon joined us ; they had killed three brace of 

 hares, but had been no more fortunate than ourselves, as far as big 

 game was concerned. 



As a set-off to this bad luck, the botanist was simply revelling 

 in the plants, of which he had collected quite a load ; his case 

 had been filled several times over, and he was in high good- 

 humour. He wandered noiselessly and ecstatically about, as if he 

 was the recipient of a special grace from heaven ; and yet a still 

 greater event was destined to happen to him. 



It was on his watch, one fine night, and just as he was going 



