THE RETURNING PARTY'S EXPERIENCES. 489 



at the time that practically speaking they were one and the same 

 fjord, for as far as sledge-expeditions were concerned, the low 

 narrow spit of land between the two was not worth taking into 

 account. After driving for a while they reached Indre Eide, and 

 a little farther on realized that they were in Gaasefjord. All the 

 land they could see three or four miles inwards was steep and precip- 

 itous, the sea being close in to the foot of the mountains. They 

 camped in the evening near the mouth of a river running through 

 a large valley, which cut its way into the land in a westerly direc- 

 tion, and they decided on this way for their advance towards the 

 west coast. It was agreed that Baumann and the mate should 

 go on with one team, while Stolz remained at the camp to shoot. 



They found a fairly good pass, and it was not many hours 

 before they reached the watershed, whence they could see across to 

 the sound on the other side of the land. On the way down they 

 followed a small glacier, and after six hours' march reached the 

 shore at ' Eenbugten ' (Eeiudeer Bay). 



The impression they now received of the sound was very 

 different from our earlier one; but it must be 'remembered that 

 they did not pass through the narrowest part of it the part which 

 invariably showed itself worthy of its later designation. 



They had brilliant spring weather on the way north. It was 

 the middle of the melting season, and there was water and slush on 

 the ice. To them it seemed like coming from the deadness of a 

 desert to a land full of life and warmth. It was just like a spring 

 day at home in Norway: the ice was melting ; the streams running. 

 Havnefjord was not to be compared with Hell Gate at this time. 

 Seals and walrus basked in the sun in numbers on the ice, and 

 the tracks of the bears crossed and re-crossed one another in all 

 directions. In a word, Hell Gate, the redoubtable, presented itself 

 to the astonished ' Fram ' folk as a veritable Eldorado for sports- 

 men. The temptations were too strong for them, and they stalked 

 two walrus, though without success, for both animals got wind 

 of them and took to the water. 



Farther north they met a bear, and put the two most warlike 

 of the dogs on to it, but they did not seem to think it was any 

 business of theirs, and let the bear go its own way. It was only 



