THROUGH DRIFT AND SCUD. 385 



Later in the afternoon the wind went down a little, and we 

 then saw a number of projecting mounds and knolls. We thought 

 at the time that they were low islets which were scattered about 

 in the sea, but how far this was really the case I do not know. I 

 think, however, I may say with certainty, that many of what we 

 took to be islands were nothing but elevations on the extensive 

 level country ; though in this never-ending snowy weather it was 

 quite impossible to come to any decided conclusion. 



In the evening we camped on the lee side of what we took to 

 be a little island. The bad weather continued, and it was not till 

 the morning when we were setting off and we saw the crack 

 round it, that we discovered for certain that it really was an island. 

 The air being somewhat clearer, we also discovered in the direction 

 in which we were going a rather larger islet as we then thought 

 it to be and shaped our course a little west of it. The wind went 

 on steadily increasing during the day, and when evening came, 

 and we approached the land we had seen in the morning, a whole 

 gale was blowing. 



We drove close inshore, as we knew that the nearer we 

 could pitch the tent to the high walls of rock, the more sheltered 

 it would be, even if the wind blew straight on to the cliffs ; pro- 

 vided, of course, that the direction of the wind and the cliffs were 

 at right angles to each other ; otherwise it would be hopeless to 

 seek shelter there. 



We tied up the dogs at a spot where they were safe not to be 

 snowed down, and then turned in. 



VOL. i. 2 c 



