FUGLEFJORD. 259 



inland, while I tried to get a seal, which, however, very shortly 

 saved its skin by taking to the water. I soon went back to camp, 

 and set to work to fry reindeer steaks, which was far pleasanter 

 work than being fooled by a seal. 



We drove up Fuglefjord next day in falling snow and thick 

 weather, unable to see anything, but we eventually camped on an 

 almost snow-bare delta of sand at the head of the fjord. The 

 bed of the river was the only place where there was still any ice 

 or snow ; there we had a little ice under us for part of the way. 

 We drove first on one side and then on the other, but were soon 

 stopped by stones and grit. We had got into a horrible hole. 

 There was nothing but slush wherever we turned, and not a 

 dry spot for the tent. In the end we had to take refuge on a 

 heap of stones, for the first time in all our wanderings. We 

 cleared some of the stones away, and the ground was not so bad 

 as might have been expected, though it could not be called extra 

 soft lying. 



The weather had cleared by degrees, and when we went up on 

 to the mountains to look round us we tad a good view up our 

 valley. We soon came to the conclusion, however, that at this 

 time of year it would be impossible to reach the 'inland ice,' 

 which as a matter of fact must be rather far away, for we saw no 

 sign of it whatsoever. 



But though we saw no ' inland ice ' we saw enough birds ; 

 there were countless hosts of skuas. Wherever we looked we saw 

 skua by skua up on the ledges of the cliffs. I had never seen 

 this bird in such numbers. There were also a great many geese 

 here. We could not resist trying for some, though it was curious 

 how hard they were to shoot that year, and many a shot whistled 

 wide into the blue air. But then I made a lucky shot and brought 

 down three at one rifle-shot. I took them as they were forming 

 into line, in the way these birds fly. One of them flapped on a 

 few strokes farther, but soon fell down. 



The day afterwards we left the fjord, but in the narrow strait 

 at its outer part, a little way inside Fugleb'en, we met open water, 

 and had to make our way in to the ice-foot. 



Eich as the fjord had been in geese and skuas, the big lane 



