LAND AT LAST 3/9 



could discern land and islands both to right and left of 

 us, so that we did not know in what direction to steer, 

 we put in here, drew the kayaks up on shore, pitched 

 the tent, and cooked ourselves a good meal of warm 

 food, which we relished greatly, from the consciousness 

 of having done a good day's work. Above our heads, 

 all up the face of the cliff, the little auks kept up a con- 

 tinual hubbub, faithfully supported by the ivory -gulls, 

 kittiwakes, burgomasters, and skuas. We slept none the 

 worse for that, however. This was a beautiful mountain. 

 It consisted of the finest columnar basalt one could wish 

 to see, with its buttresses and niches up the face of the 

 cliff, and its countless points and spires along every 

 crest, reminding one of Milan Cathedral. From top to 

 bottom it was only column upon column ; at the base 

 they were all lost in the talus. 



When we turned out the following morning, the 

 weather had so far cleared that we could better see 

 the way we ought to take. It appeared as if a deep 

 fjord or sound ran in eastward in front of us ; and 

 our way distinctly lay round a promontory which we 

 had to the S.S.W. on the other side of the fjord. In 

 that direction the water appeared to be open, while 

 within the fjord lay solid ice, and out to sea drift-ice 

 lay everywhere. Through the misty atmosphere we 

 could also distinguish several islands. *" Here, too, as 



* These three islands, whose bearings we were subsequently enabled to 

 take, and which we could see from our winter hut, are probably the land 



