62 NEW LAND. 



directions, I suddenly caught sight of a herd of polar oxen lying 

 on a sand-hill. There were eight of them altogether. Such an 

 opportunity could not be let slip, for we had scarcely any fresh 

 meat left in fact, our larder had hardly ever been so empty. I 

 therefore hastened west to Baumann, told him what I had seen, 

 and we both started in the direction of the animals, but they were 

 lying so unfavourably for us that it was impossible to stalk them, 

 and come within reasonable range. 



Four of them, in spite of this, remained lifeless on the field of 

 battle, while the others took flight up the mountain-side. While 

 I was occupied skinning and removing the entrails from the 

 animals we had shot, Baumann followed the others on to the 

 wastes. He came back after a while, having wounded an ox, but 

 as he had no more cartridges, and each time he attempted to 

 approach the animal it made as if it would charge him, he thought 

 it better to return and fetch some as speedily as possible. 



Fosheim meanwhile heard the shots from the other side of the 

 valley, gave up his somewhat unremunerative pursuit of the hares 

 over there, and came back to me, whom he was hard at work 

 helping when Baumann returned. They now exchanged places, 

 and he set off after the wounded animal, which he very soon found 

 and shot. 



Big-game shooting had not been our object when we left the 

 ' Fram,' and consequently we were not provided with such a 

 luxury as a hatchet. To attempt to open a polar ox with only 

 a knife inevitably brings its own reward I broke my first-rate 

 flaying-knife, and in consequence we were unable to skin more 

 than two of the animals. However, this did not prevent us from 

 cutting ourselves a prime steak, furnished with which delicacy we 

 came on board about eight o'clock, and Fosheim an hour later. 



The mate and Baumann left the ship early next morning to 

 fetch the last-shot animal, but Fosheim and I did not get off till 

 later, as we had not yet had time to put more than two sledges in 

 order, and Baumann had them both. But at last, by half-past ten, 

 we were ready to start. 



We followed the ice-foot for the first half-mile towards the 

 head of the fjord. The going here was not exactly of the best 



