TOWARDS THE SOUTH ! TOWARDS THE SOUTH ! 231 



snowdrift which led directly down to the fjord they had turned 

 into a coasting-hill, and apparently used it assiduously. Probably 

 the young folk amused themselves by cultivating the sport, while 

 the more sedate and stiff-legged ladies and gentlemen kept a 

 look-out and saw to the commissariat. 



In about the true west was a broad fjord, which looked as if it 

 penetrated north-west to a great distance. We decided to explore 

 its inner part before we drove farther south. But here a great 



KUINS OF AN ESKIMO HOUSE. 



surprise awaited us : Schei recognized his camping-place of the 

 previous year, away in Bjornesund, to the west. 



Had we been clearer about this fact on the way up, we might 

 have spared ourselves much unnecessary work. We might have 

 saved ourselves the journeys up Vendomfjord and Troldfjord, as, 

 in any case, Baumann and Stolz were going to visit both these 

 fjords. In place of this we might have concentrated our work on 

 exploring the countries west and north of Greely Fjord. But it 

 never could have occurred to us to plan the spring journeys other- 

 wise than we did. We were obliged to look for the sound east of 



