CRICKET IN SPITZBERGEN. 229 



They may even have been tantalised by 

 seeing the topsails of vessels passing outside of 

 the icy barrier, but far beyond their reach. 

 On a little piece of level ground, not far from 

 the huts, they had kept themselves in exercise 

 by playing at a game resembling cricket, as 

 was evident by the bats and rude wooden balls 

 they had used still lying on the mossy ground. 

 Altogether there was something inexpressibly 

 sad and desolate about the remains of this 

 unfortunate establishment ; and by the rude 

 Norwegian sealers the place is regarded with 

 a degree of superstitious awe which perhaps 

 may be the reason for the huts being in such a 

 good state of preservation. As my English 

 sailors were not afflicted with any similar 

 scruples, and as we were in urgent need of 

 firewood, we took the liberty of appropriating 

 some pieces of one of the outhouses, although 

 I would not allow the standing parts of the 

 walls to be pulled down, in case the huts might 

 be called upon to do duty again as winter 

 quarters for any shipwrecked crew. We also 

 broke up a large boat, which never could have 

 been made seaworthy again, and which, 

 having been thickly smeared with pitch, made 

 excellent firewood. This boat, instead of being 



Q3 



