213 Mr* A. Newton on the Birds of Spitsbergen. 



arrived just opposite the camp, a sudden flaw of the wind blew 

 the smoke of my fire in his face, and he looked for a moment 

 disconcerted ; but recovering his self-possession he at once pad- 

 dled off quietly and in a dignified manner, without diving, out 

 to sea. About a couple of hours after, the stalking-party came 

 back, having been as unsuccessful in their pursuit as I had been 

 in mine ; and then after a dinner of venison-steaks, which an 

 alderman might have envied, we rolled ourselves up in our rugs, 

 pipe in mouth, and composed ourselves to sleep. Of course in 

 these, as in all other arctic latitudes, when the sun is always 

 above the horizon, it matters not in the least at what hour of 

 the twenty-four one does anything ; one eats when one is hun- 

 gry, and sleeps when one is tired. Towards 10 o'clock p.m., 

 somebody awoke, and saw the sloop heading up in our direction ; 

 the party was accordingly roused, and about midnight we got 

 on board. 



Next morning the wind changed, and it threatened "dirty'' wea- 

 ther. We tried to get into Advent Bay for shelter, but our craft 

 was so lubberly we found it impossible. Giving up the attempt, 

 we ran before the wind, now rising to a gale, past our bivouac 

 of the preceding evening, on to Sassen Bay, another deep inden- 

 tation on the south side of Ice Sound. Here we anchored 

 behind a point of land terminating in a highish knoll, which 

 afforded us some protection ; and in this harbour of refuge we 

 remained until the morning of the 22nd ; when, what Deer there 

 were in the neighbourhood being killed, or, for the time, dis- 

 turbed, we grew tired of the monotony of our life, and resolved 

 to boat home, at all risks. And now I may mention that, 

 though I had previously, about the Alkenhorn and elsewhere in 

 Ice Sound, made the acquaintance of the Northern Puffin 

 {Fratercula glacialis), I saw very many more of them in this 

 locality than in any other. Compared with the rest of the 

 Alddce of the country, they are, however, rare, and they seem 

 much more sporadic in the distribution of their breeding-stations; 

 indeed, for the matter of that, I was never able to discover 

 any one particular haunt of theirs. That the Northern Puffin 

 has been with justice separated from the common Fratercula 

 arctica, of which, I believe, there is no trace in Spitsbergen, I 



