ISACHSEN RELATES. 7 



pouring the last of the oil into the cooker : " This is the last 

 ' Primus/ Isachsen ! " "All right," I answered, " we shan't die as 

 long as we have raw meat and dog-food." Our great difficulty 

 was to get a sufficient quantity of drinking-water, and in order to 

 melt it we had to make use of physical warmth. Our meals had 

 one advantage, however, inasmuch as they were easy to prepare. 

 Later on, when on board, I was incautious enough to remark that 

 dog-food tasted good, and ever after that a kindly soul placed 

 a dole at my place at table on festive occasions. 



' On June 3 Whit Sunday at midnight, I saw a big bear 

 rounding Bjornekap and coming towards us. As it was coming 

 down wind, it was to be expected that it would soon bear off 

 to get scent of us. It was therefore necessary to prevent this, and 

 we accordingly luffed. But then it gave up the idea and headed 

 straight for us, and it was not long before bear and dogs were 

 circling round each other. The bear sat himself down on his 

 haunches and hit out valiantly, right and left, but a couple of 

 bullets soon put an end to this. I had to walk close up to it 

 before I dared shoot, as the dogs were so in my way. The 

 " white 'un," however, was considerably injured. It had flung 

 itself ten or fifteen paces away, and there lay moaning. It proved 

 that its backbone was broken, and the hind-quarters entirely 

 paralyzed. I had to give it another shot. 



'We had now some blubber for fuel, and we ate that evening 

 both long and well. What the dogs can put away on such 

 occasions is something incredible ; bear's-liver, however, they 

 are not much addicted to, and those that eat it generally surfer 

 for it. " Storebron," who was young and inexperienced, had thus 

 to part with his again. 



' As there was only open water and no ice farther south in the 

 sound, we had to strike overland from here. We drove up to a 

 height of about 500 ft., found a breach in the mountains, through 

 which we passed, and came down to Gaasefjord. close by our last 

 winter quarters. 



' On June 13 we reached Bjorneborg. Here, contrary to our 

 expectations, we found no people, but two dogs : " Fischer " and 

 " Turisten," both as fat as butter. The mate had set them on a 



