252 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 



The male snow-buntings were now changing to autumn 

 plumage. 



Jtdy 25M. — I had become tired of this inaction. The 

 time was slipping on, and as yet we had done so little. 

 So after breakfast (fried brent, salt pork — the remains of 

 that we gave the Samoyeds — soup of grey plover, long- 

 tailed duck and sanderling) I made up my mind we must 

 patch up the old boat and go out that we might sound 

 the channel and make ready for the Saxon. 



The wretched old craft leaked so badly that it took a 

 very long time to plug and patch her up. And even 

 when that was done we were in much the same fix as 

 Robinson Crusoe with his fine new boat. For she was 

 lying high and dry among the grasses. However, we 

 stuck to it. Our great want was rollers. There was 

 nothino- for it but to use the wood of some of the fallen 



o 



crosses — we could not help ourselves. With these and 

 an old oar or two, gradually and with infinite exertions 

 we worked the boat inch by inch over the snow and mud 

 (into which we sank deep at every step, and in which we 

 had to probe for our rollers) till we had it at last by the 

 water's edge. 



We put our guns, some cord, a broken kedge, and old 

 Sailor into the boat, and finally got under weigh at half- 

 past ten at night. The tide was running strongly out — a 

 three-quarter ebb — and the moon was in her last quarter. 



The tide was running out so fast that Hyland's chief 



