318 NEW LAND. 



boat-house. As we had something to do there, and it was also Bay's 

 birthday, we made a halt for the rest of the day, and camped out 

 on the ice near the drive up to the house. After finishing our 

 work we had a dinner, which was as sustaining as it was splendid, 

 and consisted of boiled beef, sausages, soup, and green peas. After 

 dinner we had drams and coffee, and after supper hot grog. 



Early next morning, and on good ice, we drove on, running 

 by the side of the loads nearly the whole day to increase the pace. 

 "We reached Bjorneborg in the evening, where we found our new 

 depot in good order. 



Next day we set to work on the erection of the Commandant's 

 residence. We built a very respectable house, and introduced 

 the bear-skin and a superfluity of rags, all according to taste. 

 As soon as we were gone, Bay was going to make a snow wall 

 round it, and put a layer of snow on the top of the bear-skin. 

 Like other residences of the kind, Bjorneborg must have its flag, 

 we thought, and as we were in possession of a flagstaff, which, con- 

 sidering our circumstances, was irreproachable, we secured it to the 

 roof, and ran up a Seventeenth of May flag. But our Commandant 

 was economical, and would only use it on occasions of especial 

 ceremony. 



Here Bay lived, absolutely alone, for three months; and 

 during the first part of the time without so much as a living 

 being for company ; afterwards he had a garrison consisting of a 

 whole watch-dog. During all this long period I never saw him 

 out of spirits. 



We had worked so hard at the house all day that we had not 

 found time even to go and see what were our chances of progress 

 westward. I could hardly think that matters were likely to be 

 so bad that we could not push on somehow or other, but it was 

 impossible to tell. 



Next morning Fosheim and I made a start, and as the ice 

 looked exceedingly bad, we took only one team with us and no 

 load to speak of. We drove at first along the ice-foot, and got on 

 a good pace on the polished ice, but this came to a sudden end 

 under a perpendicular cliff. We were then obliged to go out on 

 to the sea-ice, which consisted of pressed-up young ice, and this 



