252 THE SIEGE OF THE NORTH POLE 



Rather than drive all the way back, it was decided to try 

 the tunnel. From the roof hung gigantic blocks of ice, 

 and along the wails were grotto after grotto. It was a 

 fairy scene, but fear -inspiring as well as beautiful. The 

 tunnel led through to the valley on the other side. The 

 remainder of the journey to Bjorneborg was made without 

 incident. 



Bay had now been a hermit three months, and had 

 many adventures with bears to relate. Sverdrup took 

 him on to the ship, and left Fosheim at Bjorneborg in 

 Bay's place. 



Before Sverdrup reached the ship a serious fire had 

 taken place on 27th May. A spark from the galley 

 chimney is supposed to have set the winter-awning on 

 fire. The flames spread so rapidly that soon the rigging 

 was on fire, sixteen paraffin-prepared kayaks which were 

 lying under the awning were totally destroyed, as well as 

 a score of prepared polar-ox skins and some bear-skins. 

 Several cases of powder were removed at the last moment. 

 An iron tank containing 50 gallons of spirit could not be 

 moved, but although the heat melted the tinning on the 

 outside of the tank, the spirit did not catch fire. 



Schei and Peder arrived from their journey on Whit- 

 sunday morning. They had visited North Kent, where 

 they shot some reindeer ; and then went to Buckingham 

 Island and Graham Island. From there they had visited 

 some fiords in the south of Axel Heiberg Land. 



Isachsen and Hassel returned on board on 19th June. 

 On 16th April they separated from Sverdrup and Fosheim 

 to explore the land seen in the west. The weather was 

 foggy, and nothing was seen of the land till the 20th 

 April, when they found themselves near the ice-foot. 

 After getting a general view of the land, they returned 

 to Axel Heiberg Land, where they arrived on 28th April, 

 and left a record as arranged. They then travelled south 



