94 ACCIDENTS FEOM POG. 



miles, when, not being able to find her, and 

 being afraid of losing the island ourselves, we 

 rowed back again, and had made a large fire 

 and were about to breakfast upon bear-steaks 

 and eider-ducks, when the sloop appeared in 

 sight, about three miles oflP, and in a totally 

 different direction to that in which we thought 

 we had heard the signal-shots. 



"We got on board before noon on the 18th ; 

 and after a breakfast of hot brandy-and-water, 

 cold beef and biscuit, we turned in for a few 

 hours' sleep. 



Many poor people have been left to perish 

 miserably on these bleak and desert islands by 

 accidents arising from fog, ice, currents, and 

 'brandy. One notable case of a somewhat 

 ludicrous nature, but which might have ended 

 very tragically, took place five years ago, the 

 scene being an island, which I afterwards 

 visited, about thirty miles to the south-west 

 of this one. A great many walruses had been 

 killed on this island the previous season, and a 

 small sloop from Hammerfest came to the 

 island for the chance of finding bears feeding 

 on the carcases ; they found a perfect flock of 

 bears — upwards of fifty — congregated on the 

 island, holding a sort of carnival on the 



