482 NEW LAND. 



planless over the whole, like old grey quarry-stones in the even 

 grass-carpet of the clay, were large fragments of rock, which 

 the ice had carried up from the steep shores and strewn about at 

 random, leaving, when it floated away, one on the top of a hillock, 

 another in a hollow of the ground. 



' The stony ridges of this slightly undulating level country 

 are bare of snow, in winter-time, and thus afford food for big 

 game, even during the long winter. This is not only the case 

 in these islands, but on the whole of the west side of Ellesmere 

 Land, and in the tracts about Heureka Sound. In the hollows 

 between the ridges, on the other hand, the snow lies packed, 

 providing a good driving way ; and this we made use of one sunny 

 May 2, driving from the ice-foot up the level country, along the 

 east side of a largish river. The weather was fine and the going 

 good, so that we went very quickly until, on looking ahead, beyond 

 a slight rise in the ground, I saw something which made me pull 

 up suddenly. In front of us, a little to the left, were four reindeer, 

 quietly grazing. As soon as the dogs saw the animals they, of 

 course, began to bark and howl because they were not allowed to 

 give chase we had taken our usual precaution and overturned the 

 sledges and the reindeer then set off, but stopped again at a little 

 distance. Later in the day we passed another herd of three 

 animals ; they took no notice of us. 



' When, about noon, we reached the foot of the higher ground, 

 we saw a polar ox right in front of us. They are good dog-food, 

 and we decided to shoot it. Hendriksen had not shot a polar ox 

 before, so he got out his rifle, and I gave him my dogs, which were 

 ahead, to let loose on the animals. The ox was walking on a ridge 

 of stones on the north side of a hill, and the animals there were 

 three of them had not even remarked us as we came driving from 

 the south on the opposite bank of the stream, only three or four 

 hundred yards away. Two of them were lying down, and conse- 

 quently we did not see them at first. The dogs had long had wind 

 of the animals, and pulled like fury ; and, now that they saw them 

 as well, set off like rockets when Hendriksen let them go. I let 

 loose the second team too. 



' It was not till the dogs had crossed the stream and were 



