154 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



After waiting for some days, as he was expected 

 daily, Sir Allen Young decided to land a depot of 

 provisions at once, and to leave it in charge of the 

 head Samoyede. This depot would serve either for 

 the use of the Eira's crew should they arrive here, or 

 for ourselves, should we have to abandon the Hope 

 and fall back on our depots ; and it was carefully 

 stored in the lifeboat-shed, which we were surprised 

 to find here and with a lifeboat in it too. I was 

 unable to find out its history, as our interpreter was 

 not very efficient, and if bored too much, would 

 answer " yes " to everything. We had expeditions 

 after reindeer and wild-fowl, and one day saw twenty- 

 four white whales captured, all agreeable and some- 

 times exciting experiences, but which, having no 

 bearing upon the objects of the expedition, must 

 be left undescribed here. I got one good bird's-eye 

 view of Moder Bay from the top of a neighbouring 

 mountain, and could see that the whole country was 

 covered with large snow patches and drifts, with ex- 

 tensive snow-fields on the uplands, the heads of the 

 bays and fiords still choked with ice, and an ice-foot 

 running along the whole coast, under which the sea 

 surging and murmuring could be heard from afar. 

 After taking on board eight sledge-dogs for use in 

 case of wintering in Franz Josef Land, and being 

 delayed several days by thick fogs, we were able to 

 get away on July 25th ; and followed by the Kara, 

 and with the Martha in tow, we started with a fresh 



