230 NEW LAND. 



geese flying up the fjord. Poor geese ! They had taken a rash 

 decision when they set out on their migration northward so early 

 in the year. Many of them, doubtless, came bitterly to regret 

 their recklessness, for, even though it was the twenty-sixth of 

 May, there was nothing but snow to be seen, wheresoever one 

 turned. 



In the same thick weather the following day we drove out of 

 the fjord, and took a line across to the east shore, where we saw a 

 point which seemed to us the very place for observations. We 

 camped on the ice a way out from it, but could do nothing 

 for the fog. 



As we had expected, the breeze increased to an unpleasant 

 degree during the night, and we had to make up our minds to 

 another weather-bound day. The gale from the south kept us in 

 the tent nearly all day, and we only just managed to get out to 

 feed the dogs. Towards evening it had almost blown itself out, 

 and in the morning was not too bad for us to take some bearings 

 before going on southwards. Later in the day it cleared. 



In a slack breeze from the north we drove along the east side 

 of the sound, and stopped for the night in a little bay on the south 

 side of a rather steep promontory. The coast here began to trend 

 slightly to the east, and this spit of land was just the place for 

 taking bearings and measuring angles between the different fjord- 

 openings and points. 



I prepared to start on my work, while Schei went up the talus. 

 He came running back directly, however, to say that he had seen 

 a bear out in the sound, making straight for the camp. Not 

 many seconds afterwards I also saw it, but when it had come 

 within winding distance of us it resolutely turned tail and set off 

 towards the west shore. We let it go, as we still had plenty of 

 dog-food from our fat seal. Dogs require less food, too, when they 

 get so much blubber, as it forms a substantial groundwork. 



After that we walked northward together to the point, and 

 climbed up on land till we had a good view across the ice. The 

 bears had also discovered this point of vantage, for they had 

 trodden quite a path up to it. It appeared, too, as if they well 

 understood how to combine business with pleasure. A steep 



