334 NEW LAND. 



and again an ice-stream, as it came floating down, brought us an 

 occasional straggler, so that, notwithstanding, we got together a 

 certain number of walrus. Our route lay westward towards Hell 

 Gate, as a rule under the coast, as the wind was off shore, and 

 forbade our sailing south. At times it blew so hard that we 

 thought it wisest to take to the land altogether ; and on such days 

 we trudged about on the shore, in the hope of finding birds 

 or other animals, especially some foxes, which had thought it 

 necessary to attack our meat-magazine. Stolz shot two or three 

 of them, and after that there was an end of their predations. 



They were raw days we had on this walrus-catching trip. We 

 could hardly expect anything else at this time of year, and 

 particularly in the west here, where the wind blew down and out 

 of the straits and fjords. No matter how well clothed one may 

 be, it is impossible to keep warm, sailing in an open boat all day 

 long, and one's feet suffer most of all. Our chief pleasures were 

 those of the table. Fried walrus- and seal-liver were standing 

 dishes with us at this time, and were as much appreciated as 

 they were excellent ; we feasted on them nearly every morning 

 and evening. 



On Saturday, September 21, we rowed the last cargo of walrus- 

 meat in to Ytre Eide. We were hardly able to push through the 

 brash, and as our store was now sufficient for the winter, we 

 decided to stop walrus-catching. We met Bay at his post at Ytre 

 Eide ; he told us that Peder was better again, and had driven him 

 out to the station the day after we had parted from him. 



On Sunday morning I let the mate return on board with his 

 crew, while my party were to row in to the edge of the ice and 

 unload all the things we had in use, such as bags, tents, and the 

 like, and which we required for shooting in the near future. It 

 would be easier to fetch them from there than from out at Ytre 

 Eide. 



It was a hard Sunday. When we had passed the point a wind 

 sprang up and blew straight down the fjord, and it is no Sabbath 

 Day's work to pull a fully laden boat we also had some meat on 

 board through thick trash ice, and against a strong head wind. 

 The trash decreased, but the wind increased, and at last we were 



