406 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



charge of numerous letters to be posted on our return to regions 

 where such an institution exists, and finally started for the coast 

 by express train, accompanied by some of the members of the 

 Expedition. It was a strange sensation to rattle along so fast 

 down hill, in the darkness of night, on an Arctic coast, where the 

 hard frozen ground made everything reverberate to an astonishing 

 extent. On arrival at the lower end of the tramway it began to 

 snow, and we had some difficulty in attracting the attention of the 

 watch on board, as, besides being very dark, it was now blowing 

 a gale directly on shore, so that when at length the boat came for 

 us it was impossible to bring it close in to the beach, but it was 

 backed in on the breakers as near as was practicable, and we had 

 to make a run for it through the surf, one at a time, and tumble 

 into the boat as best we could. We arrived on board at 11.30, 

 and the smack was rolling so heavily that before we could secure 

 the boat she was stove as she hung at the davit falls. Shortly 

 afterwards the smack took to rolling so heavily as to take in water 

 over the deck on each side in turn. 



September 13. Temperature, 9.20 a.m., press. 753'8, air 33'8, 

 water 37"-4. — The snow storm continued through the night and 

 until nine in the morning, by which time, the weather having 

 moderated, the snow was lying about six inches deep on deck. 

 We got under weigh as soon as possible, running up our flags 

 and firing a parting salute in return for a salute from the shore. 

 Wind E.N.E. fresh, to start with, and in spite of various shifts, 

 including a calm, we gradually advanced up Sassen Bay and 

 anchored that evening in the snuggest situation that offered, 

 a good way in on the south side. The noise of the cable running 

 out disturbed a Diver, which was, I have no doubt, of the Ked- 

 throated species. 



September 14. — Landed with two seamen for Reindeer 

 hunting. An hour's row brought us nearly to the head of the 

 Fjord, where we hauled the boat up. After only about three- 

 quarters of an hour's walk we saw seven deer on the upper terrace 

 of the raised beach on the south side of a big valley which runs 

 up from the head of the Fjord ; however, we made a mess of 

 our stalk by overshooting the mark, and they escaped. Almost 

 immediately afterwards we caught sight of a covey of ten 

 Ptarmigan running ahead of us (we had previously seen some 

 while we were stalking the deer) ; I exchanged my rifle for my 



