154 



NEW LAND. 



height, with sharp pinnacles and peaks ; but all the way up the 

 fjord the sea and the mountains seemed to be divided by a pretty 

 lowland intersected by many ravines and river-valleys. Although 

 winter still lay on sea and shore, it had not succeeded in obliterating 

 the traces of the vigorous vegetation in here. Leaves and grass were 

 strewn in all directions, and the whole of the drive up the fjord we 

 saw parts of plants which had been blown on to the ice by the 

 wind. This was on our beam, and such numbers of leaves 



ON GUARD AT THE REFUSE-HEAP. 



collected in the sledge-tracks that they looked like black stripes 

 behind us. 



As we were jolting steadily along up the fjord, about three 

 o'clock, my dogs suddenly winded game. They grew keener and 

 keener, and soon pulled so hard that the team behind could not 

 keep up with them. So we went on, mile after mile, the dogs 

 hauling with all their might. There did not appear to be a living 

 thing outside our caravan, but I knew my team by this time, and 

 felt sure they were not on a false scent. 



