160 NEW LAND. 



After incredible toil I eventually reached the summit, and 

 from there saw conclusively how impossible it would be to follow 

 the valley northward. The way was cut off by a network of 

 impassable intersecting canons, which cleft the land like broad 

 deep grooves. But on the other hand I received the impression 

 that I could find a fjord westward. On I went west, therefore, 

 and had soon passed the watershed, thinking to my joy that 

 now I was on the right track, and was not a little discomfited 

 when it proved that the slope only led down into a huge canon, 

 extending in a northerly direction. I followed this canon. It 

 described a large curve round the hill I had first climbed, and 

 issued out into the main valley ! 



This round gave me a good idea of the utter impracticability 

 of the country, cut up as it was in all directions by ravines. Had 

 Fosheim found no better passage than myself there would be no 

 other way open to us but the way back. On my way up I had 

 seen no fewer than five polar herds. In four of them I counted 

 eleven animals; a noteworthy figure which seems to play an 

 enigmatical part in the herding of these animals. "We had seen 

 two of the herds the previous day, in almost the same place. The 

 animals on the south side were lying, or moving about, near the 

 edge of the steep banks of the river. Thinking it would be 

 interesting to see them at rather closer quarters, I went out on to 

 the bank on the north side, exactly opposite to them, so that 

 only the river separated us. No sooner did they set eyes on me 

 than they formed into line of battle, and remained glaring fixedly 

 at me. 



A mile or so farther up, where I had to cross the river, I again 

 passed a herd, on the south side, which, notwithstanding that I 

 approached no nearer to them than a couple of hundred yards, 

 found it necessary to form up on a little sand-hill, where they 

 stood sharpening their horns in readiness to give the enemy a 

 warm reception. 



Altogether I saw more than fifty animals that day, the greater 

 number of them being cows in calf, with young animals among 

 them. On the east side of the fjord Fosheirn also saw a herd of 

 eleven. Then too there were countless tracks of hares and 



