SHERARD OSBORNE FJORD 



made a good inroad on the ammunition ; there is a difference 

 in what one gets in return for the shot when one shoots a musk- 

 ox or a hare ! 



By midnight we again eat some pieces of musk-ox tallow. 



STORMY THOUGHTS 



July SOthSlst. — Through the last twenty-four hours the 

 meteorologist has reported fog after fog with a constantly 

 falling barometer. By two o'clock in the morning I can stand 

 it no longer, but seize my diary to find an outlet for the despon- 

 dency which weighs upon us all. The snow falls heavier than 

 before — soon it will be heaped up, bad and heavy going. 



Nobody will be surprised to hear that it is difficult to kill 

 time ; we cannot sleep continually, and, hungry as wolves, we 

 do not feel in the mood for reading, though our library yet con- 

 tains the Bible and fragments of Snorre. 



We still possess two tents and we have pitched them both 

 so as to shelter our possessions somewhat ; Wulff , Koch, and 

 Harrigan occupy the one ; Ajako, Bosun, and I the other. The 

 atmosphere of our little camp is not a light one ; we have felt 

 strangely subdued since our happy little Hendrik disappeared 

 in such a mysterious way. On a day like this everything 

 seems sad. 



Heavy in heart, we observe how every day which goes 

 makes our good dogs thinner and thinner ; we ourselves are not 

 much better off, but we understand the purpose, so we shall 

 soon be accomplished in the art of starving. 



For the time being we must remain waiting — waiting to 

 get a view of the glacier which we must ascend, waiting for 

 the sun to dry all our clothes ; and when we break camp we 

 shall certainly need what strength we have left. All of us 

 have dear ones to whom we are bound for life ; in their name 

 and for their sake we will sell our lives as dearly as possible and 

 not give in as long as we can stand on our legs. 



Temporarily we must endure and await. Evil times go 

 slowly, go slowly ; such is their nature. 



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