49^ FARTHES2' NORTH 



the cracks beside us. We can often hear them o'runtinc: 

 as they go, and butting at the ice under our feet." 



That day, however, the storm so far abated that we 

 were able to move southward along the east side of the 

 island. On the way we passed a large open pool in 

 the shore-ice between this island and the land. It must 

 have been shallow here, for there was a strong current, 

 which was probably the cause of this pool being kept 

 open. We passed two or three herds of walruses ly- 

 imr on the ice near it. Concernino- these I wrote that 

 evening: "I went up to one herd of about nine to take 

 photographs of the animals. I went close up to them, 

 behind a little mound, and they did not see me; but di- 

 rectly I rose up, not more than 20 feet away from them, 

 a female with her young one plunged into the water 

 through a hole close b}'. I could not get tlie others 

 to stir, however much I shouted. Johansen now joined 

 me, and, although he threw lumps of snow and ice 

 at them, they would not move ; they only struck their 

 tusks into the lumps and sniffed at them, while I kept 

 on photographing them. When I went right up to 

 them, most of them at last got up and floundered away 

 towards the hole, and one plunged in ; but the others 

 stopped and composed themselves to sleep again. Soon, 

 too, the one that had first disappeared came back and 

 crept on to the ice. The two that lay nearest to me 

 never stirred at all ; they raised their heads a little once 

 or twice, looked contemptuously at me as I stood three 



