OUR FIRST LANDINGS 45 



had been pulled out of the ground evidently by human 

 hands. Powys picked up two bears' skulls, and a curiously 

 shaped and drilled bit of bone, which the mate pro- 

 nounced a bit of walrus tusk shaped for a harpoon 

 handle. But I had no doubt that it was formed of 

 reindeer horn ; though as to its significance I could not 

 make any guess. It was, as I knew later, a powder 

 measure. Of which more in its place. 



Of mammals we saw evidences of none, except a fox's 

 track, droppings, and kennel in the moss ; the footprint 

 of a reindeer, and another like that of a wolf. But this 

 no doubt was a dog's. 



The bogs were only soft on the top. Two inches 

 below the surface your foot struck the ice, so that it was 

 much like walking on a London pavement in time of 

 slush. 



For some time we steamed slowly on in front of the 

 ice. But with the neap tide it fell again to the south. 

 We seemed to be clear of it for a bit, and began to look 

 out for a good anchorage. At midnight, however, the 

 ice reappeared and chased us up, stretching away on 

 our port bow. But as we found we could just keep it in 

 hand without steam, and as it had become important to 

 save every possible ounce of coal, we dodged along the 

 edge of the pack northward under jib. And so we 

 went all that morning. 



June 17. — At noon we had the trawl out, and worked 



