x ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 



The companionship of my friend Mr. Mervyn Powys 

 made the voyage to Kolguev a pleasant one for me. 



To him is due very much of the success of the venture, 

 fof upon his hands fell the preliminary work connected 

 with th<- sailing. I was as sorry for his sake that 

 Kolguev proved so disappointing a sporting ground as 

 I was delighted to find he had met with some success 

 during his adventurous visit to the wilds of Novaya 

 Zemblya Credit is also due to him for his subsequent 

 attempts to reach the island. It was not surprising that 

 he failed. The ice borne down with the tide, the con- 

 stant fog, the treacherous sand-banks, the shallow sea, 

 were odds too great. They would have been serious 

 difficulties even had he possessed — as he could not 

 possess — an intimate knowledge of the dangerous entry 

 to our harbour; a harbour which, because of the bar at 

 its mouth, could never have admitted the Saxon. 



Later on two ladies, Mrs. Leybourne Popham and 

 Mrs. Ponsonby, started from Yardd in the steam yacht 

 Blencathra to our relief, but were driven back by storms. 

 They could never have landed, but I thank them much. 

 I am glad, none the less, that the gallant intention and 

 kind thought were never realised ; for 'Rescue by Ladies' 

 in the morning papers would, I think, have been harder 

 to survive than even a winter upon Kolguev. 



And < »ne more word. 



