THE GREAT EXPEDITION. 333 



we might have cause to regret later on, as at this early season of 

 the year they are very liable to become footsore, especially on going 

 so hard as we then had. We therefore gratified our momentary 

 hearts' desire and encamped where we were. 



It was a pleasure almost divine to get something to eat that 

 evening, and we devoured so much broth and fresh meat that 

 our performance approached that of the most critical period at 

 Christmas. Peder and I, however, ate the most, as boiled meat 

 and broth were our favourite dishes. Schei, I think, would have 

 preferred a simple stew of pemmican ; but Peder declared it was 

 preposterous to say that pemmican lobscouse was as good or better 

 than fresh meat and broth. No, that was ' too bad.' 



The following day was one of those sunny quiet days, of which, 

 unhappily, we had only too few in Jones Sound; but, on the 

 other hand, when we were favoured with one we appreciated it all 

 the more. Just now it came very opportunely, for we had a long 

 day before us, taking out all the provisions for the two sledge- 

 parties which were going off. 



At seven o'clock we started ; the dogs knew very well we were 

 bound for Bjorneborg, and went as hard as they could go, so 

 that when we arrived there most of the inhabitants were still in 

 their bags. 



As I was tying up my dogs after our arrival, the mate came up 

 and told me that they had returned from Baadsfjord the previous 

 evening with all the things they had gone there to fetch. He then 

 made some rather mysterious remarks about a valley which cut 

 through the land from the bay between Bjorneborg and Stormkap, 

 and which he thought so very beautiful. He talked on in this way 

 for some time, until I began to wonder what was the matter with the 

 man. I had never noticed anything particularly beautiful about the 

 valley in fact, I had always thought it was an ugly hole nor 

 had I known before that the mate was endowed with such 

 lyrical gifts. I looked well at him, and felt sure there was some- 

 thing in the background, but what it was I could not make out, 

 till Baumann came up and said straight out that, in the event of 

 our not arriving that day they had decided to go over there and 

 look for big game. As I had more men than were necessary for 



