200 NEW LAND. 



every tenth step, in turn, mark the spot with a generous jet of 

 tobacco-juice. As long as we were careful to aim at the higher 

 parts there was no risk of our ' landmarks ' being obliterated by 

 the drift. The invention was simple and practical, and Heaven 

 knows there was colour enough on the snow ! 



Up in the valley there was not snow enough for our ' ski,' 

 and we had, consequently, to take them off. We began at once 

 to see numerous traces of hares and polar oxen along by the side 

 of the river. The weather, however, was too bad for us to expect 

 to see small game, and the tracks of the big game were fairly 

 old. Schei followed the east side of the river, while I climbed 

 some ridges on the west side. Notwithstanding the great number 

 of hare-tracks, I was astonished when I saw a hare up on one 

 of the ridges. I potted it in its form ; skinned it on the spot, and 

 took it back with me. 



To judge by the little I saw of the drift-ice, it was of the same 

 kind as out by the camp. 



I found my way back without difficulty, and began to cook the 

 hare, but Schei was late in returning : the supper was ready, and 

 still he had not come. I began to be anxious about him, and 

 went out to see if he were in sight. 



The wind had steadily increased, and bad as it had been when we 

 went ashore, it was ten times worse now. But I had absolute faith 

 in our patent landmarks. The brown dabs had led me splendidly, 

 and I had not been stingy in further contributions on the way 

 back. At last there he was, safe and sound, following the 

 browns ! Except some coveys of ptarmigan, he had not seen a 

 living thing. 



Xext day, May 7, the wind had gone down, and in return we 

 had drift and thick fog. We pressed on again, and, after manifold 

 tribulations in the pressure-ice, at last reached a place where we 

 could take to the ice-foot. 



Clos"e off land, all the way along the coast, was a border of 

 damaged icebergs which had been pushed ashore, and against 

 which the polar ice was piled in great masses. It was these 

 icebergs we had to thank that the ice had not been pressed right 

 over the ice-foot. 



