POSHEIM'S ACCOUNT. 281 



There are animals without end in this country. Every day 

 we pass herd after herd of polar oxen, but as we do not require 

 them we let them pasture on in peace. The mate, who is a 

 provident caterer and looks far ahead, has said nothing yet about 

 more meat being wanted ; and as long as he says nothing I can feel 

 safe, for a slack and baggy meat-sack is a positive annoyance to 

 him. It would be a poor look-out indeed if we had an empty 

 larder here, where there is such abundant opportunity of filling it 

 at will. 



The fjord from here runs south-east and south, and as far as 

 we can see at present there is some likelihood of a sound. In any 

 case, we cannot give in until the question is quite cleared up. 



May 13. As we were ploughing along to-day in heavy going 

 we suddenly saw some blades of grass sticking up through the 

 snow just in front of us. What in the world could this mean ? There 

 was flat ice in every direction. We began to kick and dig, and 

 we very soon got down to bare sand. Without noticing the change 

 of surface we had driven a good way in across a large stretch of 

 sandy soil, as flat and even as the floor of a room. Here, then, 

 was the head of the fjord, and therewith a sudden end of all our 

 hopes of a sound which would have saved us a round of more than 

 a hundred and fifty miles. But even a westerly passage across 

 country to Heureka Sound would be a very considerable short-cut. 

 We therefore determined to make a serious attempt in that 

 direction from a broad valley running north-west, called later 

 ' Ulvedalen ' (Wolf Valley), of glorious memory ! 



Here we camped next day under the lee of a big iceberg, 

 where, however, we found but little shelter from the violent wind. 

 It came down in gusts, first from one side and then from another, 

 and shook and rattled at the tent with such force that we 

 were afraid the whole thing would come down or be torn 

 to bits. Added to this the weather was foggy and dark, and 

 the mist drifted like carded wool up the valley. But we had 

 to make the most of our time, and went a reconnaissance notwith- 

 standing. 



All the way up the valley was a very vigorous vegetation of 

 grass and small creeping willow ; some of the latter measured, near 



