96 ADVENTURES IN THE NORTHERN SEAS. 



the northeast part of Spitzbergen, or from some un- 

 known country in that direction, as it is clear that 

 they do not belong to this part of the country, and 

 they are evidently traveled and ice-borne blocks. 



I saw for the first time on this island the singu- 

 lar appearance called "red snow," a description of 

 which is familiar to all readers of arctic voyages. 

 With deference to some of these distinguished ob- 

 servers, who appear to me to have gone out of their 

 way to look for some abstruse reasons (such as 

 "the growth of minute reddish fungi on the snow," 

 etc. ) to account for this appearance, I may state that 

 all the red snow which has come under my obser- 

 vation has been simply caused by the coloring mat- 

 ter contained in the droppings of millions of little 

 awks. These birds feed almost entirely on shrimps, 

 and consequently void a substance bearing a strong 

 resemblance to anchovy sauce. It may be that 

 "minute Teddish fungi 11 afterward grow on the drop- 

 pings, but I totally disbelieve in fungi growing on 

 the snow per se. 



To return to our position on the island. About 

 eight o'clock in the morning we fancied that we 

 heard several cannon-shots in the offing, and the 

 fog having cleared a little, we determined to make 

 an effort to regain the sloop. "We therefore rowed 

 out for about three miles, when, not being able to 

 find her, and being afraid of losing the island our- 

 selves, we rowed back again, and had made a large 

 fire, and were about to breakfast upon bear-steaks 



