174 FARTHEST NORTH 



backs, there was worse awaiting us on the beach. The 

 tide had risen, and at the same time the waves had got 

 larger and swamped the boat, and were now breaking 

 over it. Guns and ammunition were soaking in the 

 water ; bits of bread, our only provision, floated round, 

 and the butter-dish lay at the bottom, with no butter in 

 it. It required no small exertion to get the boat drawn 

 up out of this heavy surf and emptied of water. Luckily, 

 it had received no injury, as the beach was of a soft sand; 

 but the sand had penetrated with the water everywhere, 

 even into the most delicate parts of the locks of our 

 rifles. But worst of all was the loss of our provisions, for 

 now we w^ere ravenously hungry. We had to make the 

 best of a bad business, and eat pieces of bread soaked 

 in sea -water and flavored with several varieties of dirt. 

 On this occasion, too, I lost my sketch-book, with some 

 sketches that were of value to me. 



It was no easy task to get our heavy game into the 

 boat with these big waves breaking on the flat beach. 

 We had to keep the boat outside the surf, and haul both 

 skins and flesh on board with a line ; a good deal of water 

 came with them, but there was no help for it. And then 

 we had to row north along the shore against the wind and 

 sea as hard as we could. It was very tough work. The 

 wind had increased, and it was all we could do to make 

 headway against it. Seals were diving round us, white 

 whales coming and going, but we had no eyes for them 

 now. Suddenly Henriksen called out that there was a 



