272 NEW LAND. 



black muzzle of a seal to be seen. Her Majesty might suddenly 

 be pleased to be hungry. 



When we arrived at the crack, we had some difficulty in 

 crossing it, and so, postponing any further attempt, we pitched 

 the tent at our former camping-ground out on the ice, on some 

 hard drifted snow which I thought was deep enough to protect us 

 from the layer of salt which often forms on young ice. 



When salt water freezes at a low temperature, a layer of salt is 

 lodged on the ice. On the under side this efflorescence is soon 

 washed away, but on the upper side the icy cold brine remains, 

 ; even should the temperature fall as low as 20 to 40 Fahr. 

 ( 30 to 40 Cent.). Unluckily it proved in the morning that 

 the sheet of snow had not been thick enough to protect us, for both 

 the floor of the tent, and the bags, were wet through. 



We had expected a visit from the bears during the night, and 

 were disappointed they did not pay us one it would have been 

 fine sport to have been called up to a bear-hunt in the middle of 

 the night, with four-and-twenty dogs to raise the alarm ! 



We also had another disappointment out here at ' Nuten ' (i.e. 

 the Peak). We found that the foxes had eaten up nearly the whole 

 of our store of meat. This was very annoying ; but to our annoy- 

 ance was added profound astonishment when we saw that they had 

 dragged the huge bear-skin for quite a distance along the stony 

 ground. Goodness only knows how many foxes it must have taken 

 to do it ! A regular highway was left where the skin had been 

 dragged along, and all the foxes had pulled in the same direction 

 with the greatest unanimity of action, as if they had been 

 under command, or had settled it all beforehand. Their task 

 accomplished, they had had an entertainment on it, and half 

 the skin had been eaten; while round about the snow was so 

 trampled up that it was just like a farmyard. Nature's house- 

 keeping up here is a thrifty affair, and it would be difficult to find 

 anything which is not made use of to the uttermost. 



The next morning we drove into Baadsfjord, where we found the 

 snow very much heavier than outside, for there is never any wind 

 there. About midday, however, we reached the boat-house, and 

 met there Isachsen and Hassel, who had just arrived, and were 



