4 NEW LAND. 



from another inlet. The land between the inlets seemed to be 

 two islands; but this, we concluded, we should find out for 

 certain when we came to drive along the east side of the 

 aforesaid laud. 



' As the wind and drift grew still worse during the following 

 days, we were obliged to remain where we were and wait we 

 simply had to see now. 



'At the time we had parted from the homeward-bound 

 detachment, on March 31, we had been provisioned for fifty 

 days, while the bear we had shot had provided us with food for 

 another six days. Twelve days, we thought, must be allowed to 

 drive from our present camping-place to Bjorneborg. The way 

 overland would also take time, so that according to our calcula- 

 tions we could not continue our onward course for more than 

 three days longer, though if we came across game we might still 

 continue for a while. It would be very annoying if we were 

 obliged to turn south now that we stood on the very threshold 

 of the promised land. 



'On May 8 we drove north, up the eastern inlet, at first 

 following the shore, until we had passed a low neck of land. We 

 now saw that the southern hill was not an island, as we had 

 thought. Some distance to the north there appeared to be a largish 

 island in the midst of the fjord, and on about the western end of 

 this we shaped our course. During these days the odometer was 

 broken for the third time. I put it to rights again, but the rod 

 was now so short that, practically speaking, it was useless. The 

 weather at this time was particularly trying for the eyes, the 

 atmosphere and the snow being both of the same grey tone ; for 

 this reason also we had great difficulty in seeing what the ice was 

 like ahead of us. The mountains on this west side were unusually 

 high, especially those nearest the coast; on* the east side they 

 were of less height. 



' We saw some heather, and the excrements of polar oxen and 

 hares which had been blown hither and thither about the ice, and 

 we therefore scanned the country eagerly for game. After we had 

 passed the second fjord on this west side we saw two dark spots 

 up on the talus, and shortly afterwards I noticed that they moved, 



