AN AUTUMN VISIT TO SPITZBERGEN. 437 



thick he could see nothing. Anchored off Cape Thordsen about 

 8.30, and received a visit from Lieut. Stjernspetz and Heir 

 Gyllenskiiild, with four of the men. They had trapped two foxes 

 since our previous visit. Stjernpetz had the day before seen four 

 Bypa, all of which he shot. We had little on board to offer them 

 in return for their hospitality — a little venison, and a few bottles 

 of beer for the men, and English and French newspapers, &c, 

 the latest being the ' Times' of August loth. Having given into 

 our charge a " supplementary mail," including the official report 

 of the Expedition up to date, our visitors left us, and we were 

 under way again about 10. Several black-looking birds at some 

 distance were probably Puffins, possibly Mandt's Guillemots ; we 

 also saw a few Fulmars, and a couple of Brunnich's Guillemots, 

 a bird we have hardly seen this year. Fresh breeze from the 

 east ; snow began to fall soon after sailing. From early in the 

 afternoon until 4 p.m. calm ; then W. and S.W. wind, with snow 

 squalls. Beating all night. 



September 20. Temperature, IS noon, press. 757, air 32T8, 

 s. water 34*88. — Weather as last night. Anchored in Green 

 Harbour about 8.30 a.m. close to the 'Isbjorn,' whose captain 

 (Steenersen) came on board soon afterwards, and gave us some 

 information about the fish in Spitzbergen. The sea alongside 

 was swarming with Medtisce, of which we obtained examples. 

 We went by boat in a north-westerly direction, getting long shots 

 at a Binged Seal and a young Great Seal. Two hauls of the 

 dredge in 18 — 20 fathoms water produced more than 100 Echini 

 all the same species), many dead shells (two species of mussel), 

 some star-fish, &c, specimens of all which I brought home. Saw 

 several Kittiwakes, one family of Eiders, and another party of 

 three individuals, Fulmars, Glaucous Gulls, &c. The crew busy 

 most of the day filling water-casks and getting stones for ballast. 

 Babot photographed the smack, Alkhornet, &c, from shore. In 

 the afternoon weighed anchor and left Green Harbour. 



September 21. Beating into Bel Sound all day against a S.E. 

 gale ; anchored in Becherche Bay, 6 p.m., very cold. As we were 

 entering the bay two of this year's Glaucous Gulls flew very close 

 round the ship, and one of them, after flying for several minutes 

 within three yards of where the harpooner (at the tiller) and 

 I were standing, settled on the gunwale of the boat hanging at 

 the sterndavits, but could not manage to perch there. Later, Babot 



