ICE FIORD. 261 



a few days to fill the water-tanks, and gather fire- 

 wood enough for the return voyage. There is no 

 danger in remaining here for at least a week or two 

 to come, as this is said to be the last harbor in 

 Spitzbergen which remains open. The reason for 

 this is that the stream coming round from the east 

 here encounters that portion of the Arctic current 

 which sweeps round the northwest corner of Spitz- 

 bergen, and runs through the channel between 

 Prince Charles 1 Island and the main land. 



Immense flights of geese, both of the gray and 

 brent varieties, winging their way to the south, warn 

 us, however, that it is nearly time to leave the re- 

 gions of the ice. 



In the numerous fine valleys entering from Ice 

 Fiord we found such quantities of reindeer that we 

 might have loaded the ship with them, if we had 

 been, in the language of "Bell's Life, 1 ' "gluttons" 

 for that description of sport ; but, as we had more 

 venison on board than all hands, including the 

 young bears, could eat in a month, we contented 

 ourselves by picking out a few of the old stags 

 with the best horns we could find. 



The tongues of the reindeer are particularly de- 

 licious, and we salted a small keg of these for dis- 

 tribution among our friends at home. 



We have now secured splendid specimens of all 

 the Spitzbergen animals worthy of a sportsman's 

 attention, except the narwhal and the black fox. 

 These are both very rare, and we never had the 



