CHAPTER III 



August 15 to January i, 1896 



With the rise in the temperature the snow surface became 

 daily worse, so that it was seldom fit for snow-shoeing ; even 

 with "trugcr" * on it was most laborious to get along, for the 

 snow was so soft that we sank in up to our knees. Now 

 and then for an odd day or so the surface would be fit, even 

 in the month of July, and we took these opportunities of mak- 

 ing short excursions for shooting and the like. Then the sur- 

 face would be as bad as ever again, and one day when I had 

 to go out on the ice to fetch a fulmar which had been wounded, 

 the snow was so soft that I constantly sank in up to my waist. 

 Before I could reach the bird the whole pack of dogs came 

 tearing by, got hold of it, and killed it. One of the dogs seized 

 the bird in his mouth, and then there was a wild race between 

 it and the others. At last the whole pack turned back towards 

 the lane in the ice again, and I watched my opportunity and 

 snatched the bird from them. I had paid pretty dearly for my 

 booty, all spent and dripping with perspiration as I was from 

 plodding through that bottomless morass of snow. 



Our chief occupation was still the work at our sledges and 

 kayaks. The sledges, which were all brought on board from 

 the great hummock where they had lain all the winter, were re- 

 paired and fitted with runners. By July i6th they were all in 

 good order — eight hand-sledges and two dog-sledges. 



The kayaks, upon which we had long been engaged, were 

 finished about the same time. We had now in all fi\'e double 

 and one single kayak. Of these I myself made one, the single 

 kayak, which weighed 32 pounds. All of them were tested in 

 the channel, and proved sound and watertight. Both the kayaks 



* A round wicker snow-shoe like a basket-lid. 



