SHERARD OSBORNE FJORD 



difficulty in driving them ahead, as travelling conditions were 

 better. 



During the latter part of the journey we met with an adven- 

 ture which gave us a good push ahead. We discovered sud- 

 denly, ahead of us, two white forms slowly approaching. In 

 the beginning we imagined them to be bears, and rejoiced 

 already in our good fortune which would provide us both with 

 food for the dogs and fill up our own flesh-pots. 



The big white animals moved slowly towards us and at a 

 distance they behaved just like bears, scenting their way towards 

 the enemy. Hardly had the dogs discovered them when off 

 they flew, all weariness forgotten and the carnivorous urgings, 

 which had so long been suppressed, aroused with a new and 

 unknown force. We rushed across the ice at a speed which we 

 had not found possible since our last bear-hunts. Unfortu- 

 nately the whole thing was dissolved in deep disappointment 

 when we found that the animals were two wolves which had 

 wandered out on the ice. As we approached them they ran off 

 in the direction which we were taking, and thus it happened 

 that the rest of the distance to our depot was covered at a full 

 gallop. 



Our excitement was of course great, as the trail showed that 

 the wolves had just come from the depot where, beside our 

 clothes, we had also left some shoulders of musk-ox meat which 

 were to save our dogs. But fortunately the unwelcome guests 

 had been too cowardly to go right up to the depot, which was 

 quite untouched, though, judging from the tracks, they had 

 been slinking about for the better part of the day tempted by 

 the smell of meat. 



AT DRAGON POINT 



May 2ith-26th. — The state of the fjord can hardly be worse, 

 and yet it has again started snowing ! The tracks which we 

 were to have followed to Cape May, and which would have 

 cased the work of the dogs, are quite obliterated. The position 

 is not encouraging. At our arrival here last night we fed the 

 dogs with the last of the musk-ox meat, and we ourselves have 

 H 113 



