408 NEW LAND. 



Crossing Muskusfjord on April 2, the sledge-party experienced 

 strong wind from the north, with fog and drifting snow. The 

 worst gusts swept the dogs and loads far across the ice. Later in 

 the afternoon the wind fell somewhat, and in the evening they 

 built the first cairn on the west side of the outermost point of 

 Baaclsfjordnuten, just above the crack. 



Isachsen, who was going on a mapping expedition to North 

 Devon, would pass here again a little later in the spring, and there- 

 fore they decided to leave behind as much as they could in the 

 way of dog-food and provisions. They cached about 330 Ibs. in 

 different places, the greater part being at South Cape. Here, too, 

 they built their second cairn, about a hundred and fifty yards from 

 the shore, on the east side of the cape. 



As they were starting for Cone Island on the morning of April 5 

 they saw a large bear coming straight towards them. Fosheim, 

 who was driving Bay's team, loosed his dogs, as they were con- 

 sidered the best, and away went dogs and bear as fast as their 

 legs would carry them. Hassel threw himself on to Isachsen's 

 sledge, and they both drove after the bear as quickly as they 

 could. Fosheim took charge of Hassel's masterless dogs, which 

 were whining with impatience to set off. But they were given 

 something else to enliven them other than hunting ; they had to 

 drag their own load and Fosheim's too, and were treated to a sound 

 thrashing into the bargain, for, as a matter of course, the start 

 could not take place without a violent scene between ' Storebron ' 

 and ' Basen,' who were fighting at this time for mastery within the 

 team. ' Storebron ' came off victor from the battles, and was able 

 later to enjoy possession of the throne and harem. 



Meanwhile, the dogs had not pluck enough to bring the bear 

 to bay. They followed it side by side for a couple of miles east, 

 without attempting an attack. When it was so tired that the 

 steam poured forth from its mouth like a cloud of white smoke, it 

 tried, as a last resource, throwing itself headlong down into a great 

 crack in the ice. But there it was soon done for. It was a large 

 old he-bear, so heavy that it took all three teams to drag it up 

 from the fissure. 



On the succeeding days the snow was heavy going, and the 



