TO .GAASEFJORD. 61 



The day was Nodtvedt's birthday, and it was celebrated with 

 doubly good spirits. On the whole journey we had hardly felt 

 as elated as we did then. A better winter harbour we could not 

 wish for, and everything in Gaasefjord seemed beautiful to our 

 eyes. The storm which was raging outside had not reached in 

 here. The fjord was free of ice, the land bare, the air mild ; there 

 was hardly any crack to be seen. It seemed as if we had come 

 to an Eden ! 



The anchor had hardly touched the bottom before we had 

 lowered a boat, and Baumann, Eaanes, Fosheim, and I rowed 

 ashore. This was partly for the pleasure pure and simple of being 

 on land ; and partly also because we had a serious object, which 

 was the finding of a good place for tying up the dogs. We walked 

 a little way inwards along the shore, and soon discovered that 

 there were plenty of hares to be had here. On our short walk we 

 shot three brace and saw many more, but we would not spend time 

 in pursuit of them at present ; we left that for another day. 



We were soon on board again, and set to work at once on 

 preparing for a boating expedition which was to start next day to 

 a large valley running west into the land a little way down the 

 fjord. Simmons and Bay were going to dredge, and Schei to 

 geologize in the mountains ; but as there had to be four men in 

 the dredging boat, one to look after the dredging and three to row, 

 Isachsen and Peder were to go too. A large tent was to be taken 

 for their common use, and this it was proposed to pitch by the 

 fjord. Schei would then come down to this permanent station 

 every evening. 



The boat started next morning, and we who were left behind 

 set to work to move the dogs ashore, and wash the deck after 

 them. When, at a little past noon, we had finished this work, 

 Baumann, Fosheim, and I walked up the valley ; the two former 

 to look for hares, and I to find out if the river was practicable for 

 sledging, for we had already had a good deal of frost at night, and 

 had seen that there was ice on the river. If driving on it was 

 possible I would at once start the transport of the dog-food across 

 to the north side of the land. 



As I was walking along the valley, scanning the country in all 



