238 NEW LAND. 



perpendicular South Cape. It was a dangerous place for a tent, 

 being exposed to any stones and debris which might fall, but, 

 happily, none struck the tent itself while we were there. The 

 detachment had been lying here for rather more than a day, 

 detained by the lanes in the ice. It was only near South Cape 

 itself, however, that the ice was poor ; it was good enough both 

 east and west. 



As we were approaching the camp, Schei caught sight of us, 

 and at once began to get the supper ready. After our tent was 

 up, we were invited to the other tent, where we were regaled with 

 pemmican lobscouse and strong coffee. It was delicious : no less 

 of a treat was it for us to watch the tobacco-smoke curling its way 

 up under the roof of the tent, while we puffed slowly at one pipe 

 after another, and told each other our experiences. Coffee and 

 tobacco had long been contraband articles with us. 



We had taken only summer sleeping-bags with us to Baadsfjord, 

 and, being almost hairless, they were not immoderately warm 

 at this time of year. As long as we were in the fjord, we did not 

 find them cold, as we had a good warm house to sleep in, and, 

 besides, we could, if we wished, spread the travelling tent over the 

 bags, but on the way home we had suffered a good deal from cold. 

 Baumann, however, had been thoughtful enough to bring wolf-skin 

 clothing for us all, and we now spread these garments over us when 

 we went to rest at night, and were as warm as we could wish. 



On Sunday morning, October 8, we got under way to drive on 

 board, leaving behind us all provisions, both for men and dogs, as 

 we should not require them on the short distance to the ship. A 

 fair amount of fish for the dogs which we had remaining we cached, 

 and put stones on it to protect it from the foxes. 



We then set across Sydkapfjord at a smart pace, for there 

 was just enough snow on the ice to eoable the dogs to get a good 

 foothold, steering, subsequently, into the western sound between 

 Skreia and the land. 



Suddenly we caught sight of something away under land, which 

 soon turned out to be a bear. I turned my dogs towards it at once, 

 and almost before they had become aware of the animal's presence, 

 the whole caravan set off full tilt. Eight men and thirty dogs after 



