WE WALK ACROSS 101 



or water with perpendicular sides to the height of four 

 or five feet. 



At 1 1 a.m. we had lunch on a high, barren hill, and, 

 crossing a river which ran at its foot, headed for some 

 mountains which loomed hisfh in the distance. 



These mountains looked as if they might be at least 

 iooo feet high. But long ere this we had learned to 

 mistrust the evidence of our senses in this stranoe 

 land. 



A story such as that of the five bernacle geese (told 

 earlier in this account) might well meet with a smile of 

 incredulity from those who have not themselves been in 

 Northern regions. But the following quotations will 

 show that ours was but part of the common experience 

 of Arctic voyagers. 



One morning, when we were in Mossel Bay, we were roused 

 by the watch at an unusually early hour, who announced that 

 there were twenty or thirty deer by the shore washing them- 

 selves in the sea. Field-glasses and telescopes were brought to 

 bear upon the dark moving objects, and two boats were lowered 

 immediately to take ashore the three eager sportsmen and the 

 captain, all anxious to secure some of these, the first reindeer 

 we had met with. Ascending to the crow's nest soon after they 

 had left the ship, I saw through the ship's glass what was taking 

 place, and anticipated the results of the drive. It was evidently 

 nothing but a wild-goose chase ; so I made my way down and 

 announced that there would be no venison for breakfast that 

 morning. After they had rowed some miles, the hungry sports- 

 men returned empty-handed ; but they had seen the geese. 1 



1 Rev. A. E. Eaton, Zoologist, Nov. 1873. 



