DENSE AND SUDDEN FOG. 167 



CHAP. XI. 



Dense and sudden Fog, — Oar Hours and Habits. — 

 Supplies run short. — Meet the Taclit. — Their bad 



Success in Sport. — Novel Bullet-mould Geological 



Specimens. — Part Company again. — Medical Treatment 

 of sick Men. — "Water up. —News. — Old Acquaintance. 



— Gradual Extinction of the Walrus. — They are receding 

 further North. — Nova Zembla. — Hlness of young Bear. 



— Attempt to escape. — Aged Bull- Walrus. — His pro- 

 bable Eeminiscences. — Coal and Fossils. — Commander 

 Gillies' Land. — North-east Spitzbergen. — Bear shot 

 from the Deck of the Sloop. 



The tliickest fog which I ever saw — even in the 

 Spitzbergen seas — came suddenly down upon 

 US from the north-east while we were seven or 

 eight miles absent from the sloop on the 2nd. 

 I had killed one large seal, and was look- 

 ing forward with pleasure to killing five or 

 six others which we had marked, when the 

 fog came down like a curtain upon us, and 

 the ice being very intricate, it was hopeless to 

 attempt looking for the seals, so we made the 

 best of our way to the sloop. We had of course 

 carefully taken the bearings by compass, and 



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