CHAPTEK XLIII. 



THE EETUEN JOURNEY. 



NEXT day we prepared to return. A return journey has always 

 less of interest about it, for the element of excitement is wanting ; 

 one knows somewhat the appearance of the land, and it no longer 

 offers surprises. On the other hand, progress is quicker, as one 

 has a certain knowledge of the lie of the land, which enables one 

 to drive, no matter in what mood the weather may be. 



Meanwhile we permitted ourselves to hope for an improve- 

 ment in this respect it must sometimes be fine, even up here. 

 It was so late in the season, and we had had so much bad weather 

 that we thought we might fairly expect some fine weather to be 

 not far off. Again the wind went round, and blew hard from the 

 north ; but this was all the better for us, now that we had turned 

 our backs on that direction. I think the dogs knew we were on 

 our way home; they were more willing to haul than they had 

 been for a long time, poor animals. In addition to this we 

 were fortunate in our course southward, inasmuch as we did not 

 find ourselves in so much old ice as on the way noith, and so 

 were able to camp in the evening at the cape on the other side of 

 the bay. 



Next morning a whole gale was blowing, and the drift was so 

 thick that we could hardly see our hands before us ; but we knew 

 that we had to cross a big bay to reach ' Cape Nordvest ' (Cape 

 North- West), which ought then to be in about the true south, or a 

 little west of it. We set our course for the cape, and with the 

 wind behind us, drove quickly the whole day, and in the evening 

 came in sight of the majestic mountain wall which falls abrupt 

 and wild into the sea on the north side of Cape North- West. 



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