IN SEARCH OF THE EIEA. 147 



Lapps if they continue their present mode of 

 life. 



The reason of the delay of one week at Hamerfest 

 was to buy and fit out a second vessel to act as a 

 tender to the Hope the craft chosen being a Nor- 

 wegian smack of about 45 tons, called the Martha, 

 which had then to be double planked round the bow 

 and water-line to fit her to meet ice. A Norwegian 

 skipper and four hands were engaged to man her; 

 and as soon as all was settled, we took her in tow, 

 and left on 9th July, with great exchange of flag- 

 dipping and handkerchief-waving between the Hope 

 and the Martha on the one hand, and the town- 

 people on the other. AVe now made for Porsanger 

 Fiord, the great inlet on the east side of the North 

 Cape, passing, however, to the southward of the 

 Cape through Magarb Sund, the channel which 

 separates Magarb from the mainland. The North 

 Cape is, as is well known, one of the northern points 

 of Magaro. The scenery in Magarb Sund is striking 

 and impressive, on account of its extreme wildness 

 and desolation; and the narrowness of the channel 

 permits of both sides being closely scanned from the 

 deck of the passing vessel. The scream of sea-birds, 

 the swirl of contending tide-currents, and the splash of 

 fish, with an occasional rolling accompaniment, as some 

 boulder, with its attendant stone-shower, comes plung- 

 ing down the steep slopes, are the parts in the song 

 which Nature sings in this remote region of Finmarken. 



