SCHEI'S NARRATIVE. 475 



southerly of the two islands, both of which were of peculiar 

 formation. On the more southerly, Buckingham Island, there 

 was no firm rock. 



' In the centre of this island was a hill of grit, which rose to 

 an approximate height of 500 feet. From this radiated numerous 

 river-beds, which were deeply cut in the margin of the hill, and in 

 the evenly sloping fore-land of grit and clay-plains around it. 

 They ended in large estuary sands, which formed a flat shore-belt 

 of low points and shallow bays, above which the fore-land, which 

 was rugged on a small scale, rose gradually in the shape of clay- 

 plains of slight gradient, grass-grown in the hollows, and broken 

 by bare mounds of grit which, particularly in the vicinity of 

 the larger river-beds, were disposed terrace- wise along them. 



' Numerous tracks of reindeer seemed to show that the animals 

 had come from the south and had gone north. We also saw 

 tracks of hares, ptarmigan, and foxes. 



' After we had broken camp and had driven a short way along 

 the shore we came across a she-bear with her cubs sitting outside 

 the crack, and we decided to feed the dogs. Mine had already 

 noticed that I had taken my gun off the load ; they began to look 

 round, and at once- observed the bears. These were some four 

 hundred yards away, and as the snow was heavy, I at once let 

 go the dogs in hopes that they would quickly bring the dam to 

 bay, the more so as she had a small cub with her. But in this I 

 was doomed to disappointment. The cub was a one-year-old, and 

 both bears and dogs set off so quickly that soon I could hardly 

 distinguish them on the ice. I followed them as quickly as I could, 

 while Hendriksen took my sledge in tow, and really managed 

 to get them both along, as his dogs, which had winded the 

 game, hauled like mad. The bears made off at such a pace that 

 it was a long time before the dogs caught them up, and when 

 they did so the bears made no stand, but went steadily on over 

 the flat ice. They were going so slowly now that I gradually 

 gained well on them; but then the cub parted company from 

 its dam, and set a course for the other cub which had hitherto 

 been followed, accompanied by one of the boldest of the dogs. 

 I passed them as I was following the she-bear, and she in 



