322 NEW LAND. 



quick transition from shade to sunlight worked like magic on us 

 and on the surrounding scene. It was as if we had been suddenly 

 set down in another country ; we hardly knew ourselves again. 

 Eound about us the pressure-ice glistened and glittered under its 

 rays, while the caverns and grottoes in the hummocks threw back 

 the sunlight in all the colours of the rainbow. We could have 

 sung and shouted for joy ! 



But we had no time for dreaming. Farewell to Bay, a cheery 

 call to the dogs, and so away. And away we went in good 

 earnest ! The sledges hopped from drift to drift, and the whole of 

 Bjorneborg, with its Commandant, was soon lost to view. 



We kept up this pace the whole of the day; the going was 

 good and our loads light, for we had only one day's ration of 

 dog-food with us, and we camped in the evening between Lille 

 and Store Sandor. We had intended to drive as far as Store 

 Sandb'r, but the German-silver plates on Fosheim's runners went 

 to pieces. They had been spoilt west, where for long distances the 

 ice was strewn with sharp stones of all sizes. We had been as 

 careful as we could ; but, all the same, many stones had got under 

 our runners, and Fosheim's had to be repaired before we could go 

 farther. 



This sledge was an historic one. It belonged really to Bay, 

 and was called the ' pile-driver,' a name it had received after 

 some repairs done to it in Hayes Sound, which resulted in 

 strength rather than elegance ; but the former quality was more 

 necessary than the latter in a sledge that was to be used in eveiy 

 kind of country. Fosheim patched it up sufficiently to enable us 

 to reach the ship, which we did about midday, and found every- 

 thing as when we left it. It was so crowded up in all directions 

 that it was as much as we could do to struggle through to our 

 cabins. 



Of breathing-time we had little : no sooner had we taken off 

 our travelling clothes, and hung up what had to be dried after the 

 trip, than we set to work again. 



This failure of the German- silver plates was a great blow to 

 us. We were obliged in consequence to repair a sledge to 

 take the place of the 'pile-driver,' as it was impossible, in the 



