A TOILSOME JOURNEY. 371 



weather had been so against us the whole time, that we had rather 

 fought shy of it, and hoped to have a better opportunity for this, 

 and for taking some photographs,* on our way back. There was no 

 question of our being able to do it now, for the weather was much 

 too bad. However, we did not break our hearts over it, for we 

 were well pleased with our day's work, the odometer recording 

 the longest day's march we had made since we left the returning 

 party, namely, sixteen miles. 



After we got under way the following morning at our usual 

 time, "the weather became so thick tfiat we could hardly see a hand's- 

 breadth in front of us. The land very soon trended decidedly to 

 the east, and after going five miles due north-east we decided to 

 camp, as we were afraid that we were only driving up a fjord. 

 Nor did we care to keep to our original course when we could see 

 nothing in front of us, for if the land really trended to the north- 

 east we should, in such case, only be toiling and struggling out 

 in the pressure-ice on the coast to no purpose. In such circum- 

 stances it was best to keep to the newly frozen ice along the 

 shore. 



We were anxious to get a few observations, for, if the land 

 really trended north-east, we might not come back this way, and, 

 consequently, we wished to determine its westernmost point. We 

 therefore pitched the tents away from land, so that we might have 

 a free horizon in case the weather should clear. When the camp 

 was ready, and the dogs fed, I took my gun and went landwards 

 to try my luck, thinking that possibly I might, at the same time, 

 be able to find out whether we were in a fjord or only a large bay. 

 I took a diagonal line inwards. From the foot of the mountains 

 a large lowland stretched towards the sea ; and, after an hour's 

 march, I came to some extensive plains of grit without the smallest 

 sign of vegetation, although they were bare of snow. By the bed 

 of a little stream some stalks of dried grass were sticking up 

 among the stones, and these, with the exception of some lichen on 

 the stones themselves, were all the vegetation I saw. Of hares 

 and ptarmigan I saw not a trace ; and the track of a fox, which 



* Most of the photographs taken on this journey were unfortunately spoiled on 

 the way. 



