HUNTING FOR WINTER FOOD. 349 



since the beginning of the summer, and bring it inwards to the 

 neck, so that we might have everything at one place when we 

 should begin to drive. 



The dog-kennels were built along the ship's side on the 

 same principle as the former ones. The skylights were plastered 

 with snow, and below the cabins were made warm to the best 

 of our ability. The skylights and doors which were not in daily 

 use had sleeping-bags and sailcloth nailed over them. The 

 driving of the walrus-meat, which ought to have been begun 

 on, had to be left for the present. Day after day a gale blew 

 straight out of the fjord, rendering all transport impossible. In 

 anticipation of the beef, Peder and I had put up some staging for 

 it in the fore-cabin ; and the whole place looked like a butcher's 

 shop, where the meat was sorted, jointed, cut free from muscle 

 and bone, or taken under special treatment by the steward for 

 transformation. 



Friday, October 25, Peder and I went to Ytre Eide to begin 

 on the driving. The storm swept us before it down the fjord ; 

 the dogs went as hard as they could go, but all the same it was 

 difficult for them to keep ahead of the sledges, which were blown 

 along by the wind. On Saturday we had to lie to for stress 

 of weather, but Sunday all four of us drove in again. At Ytre 

 Eide we had great work in getting ashore. It was a spring tide, 

 and there were several feet of water up on the crack. We were 

 unable to cross it before we had taken the load in two relays over 

 the critical points, and did not come on board until six o'clock. 



We saw at once that it would be no use driving this way 

 during the spring tides, and as it was now freezing briskly at the 

 outer part of Gaasefjord, we chose that route. There and back are 

 equally long, as we say, and the meat had to go back over the 

 neck again. Monday we drove outwards, and started in earnest 

 on the transport of the meat. On November 4 it was all on 

 board. As we received the walrus-meat it was piled up in 

 the 'tween decks, chopped into rations, and then put into bins, 

 so that this winter most of it might be under cover. 



Herewith, as far as everything of importance was concerned, 

 our autumn work was complete. 



