THE COMMANDANT'S HERMIT LIFE. 435 



the dinner excellent, if only I had myself shot the bear whose 

 heart I had thus maltreated ; but this was not the case, for it had 

 been brought from the boat-house. 



' But the unthinkable really happened ! When, on March 19, 

 I again had the pleasure of seeing people, I had not yet shot a bear ; 

 had not even seen the fresh trail of one. The only living things 

 in that desert besides myself were two ravens, which daily came 

 to visit me. They looked hungrier and hungrier every day, and 

 seemed to be impatiently awaiting the moment when they could 

 swoop down on my lifeless body. I, however, treated them with 

 great consideration, and never shot them for they were never 

 within certain range. 



' On March 19, as I said before, I again saw people, as a 

 detachment arrived from the " Fram," but they went off the next 

 day to the boat-house to fetch more provisions. They returned on 

 the 21st. I had fine weather at this time, for a change, and it con- 

 tinued till March 22, on which day I had several more guests, as 

 Captain Sverdrup arrived from the " Fram," with the rest of the 

 men who were to take part in the expedition westward. Things 

 began to look quite lively, and there was a village of no fewer than 

 tliree tents down on the ice-foot ; but raised high above them in 

 majestic solitude stood the castle, proud as an eagle when it looks 

 down from its eyrie on a flight of sorry crows. March 22 was a 

 very busy day, as, after Captain Sverdrup's arrival early in the 

 morning, we all worked at sorting and packing the provisions and 

 other things which were to be taken west. Everything was com- 

 pleted that day, so that the entire force could march the following 

 morning. I went with them westward as far as the place where 

 the ice-foot came to an end ; said good-bye to everybody, and stood 

 some time looking after them, before I turned homewards. There 

 was plenty to be done when I got back, for the depot had been 

 scattered to the winds, and most of the things were down on the 

 ice-foot. I worked like a galley-slave that day, and perspired as I 

 can imagine a Turk would do in a Eussian steam-bath. Some of 

 the things were very heavy to move, especially a couple of packing- 

 cases containing blubber, which, however, I managed to get back into 

 their places by dragging them with a rope. By evening I had not 



