26o FARTHEST NORTH 



dogs tied up on the white ice. This floe turns a low, 

 and by no means threatening, edge towards us. We 

 have ijood low ice on the starboard too ; and between 

 the ship and the floes we have on both sides the new))' 

 frozen surface ice, which has, in the process of warping, 

 also got packed in under the ship's bottom, so that she 

 lies in a good bed. 



" As Sverdrup, Juell, and I were sitting in the chart- 

 room in the afternoon, splicing rope for the sounding- 

 line, Peter* rushed in shouting, 'A bear! a bear!' I 

 snatched up my rifle and tore out. ' Where is it T 

 ' There, near the tent, on the starboard side ; it came 

 right up to it, and had almost got hold of them !' 



"And there it was, big and yellow, snuffing away at the 

 tent gear. Hansen, Blessing, and Johansen were running 

 at the top of their speed towards the ship. On to the 

 ice I jumped, and off I went, broke through, stumbled, 

 fell, and up again. The bear in the meantime had done 

 sniffing, and had probably determined that an iron spade, 

 an ice-staff, an axe, some tent-pegs, and a canvas tent 

 were too indigestible food even for a bear's stomach. 

 Anyhow, it was following with mighty strides in the track 

 of the fugitives. It caught sight of me and stopped, 

 astonished, as if it were thinking, ' What sort of insect 

 can that be V I went on to within easy range ; it stood 

 still, looking hard at me. At last it turned its head a 



* Peter Henriksen. 



