FIRST PASSING THROUGH HELLGATE 



265 



anchor or do some other job. He was also a glutton of the first 

 water for work, but we were all persuaded that he would end by- 

 slaying us, in which case I have not the slightest doubt he would 

 have said to me as we were being ferried across the Styx, " By 

 g5od, Mr. Preechard, I 

 am sorry, the old launch 

 she bust up ! " From look- 

 ing on the launch, as he 

 did at first, with consider- 

 able awe and respect, 

 familiarity with her bred 

 contempt, and all her parts 

 lost their novelty to him, 

 save the whistle. When 

 he blew that his face 



BEYOND man's FOOTSTEPS 



In many ways the placid Swede caused us 



would betoken the 

 tensest satisfaction, 

 much amusement. 



One of the most singular things to be observed during that 

 day was the absence of life in the forest which bordered the shore. 

 It was strange to sail along under the vast masses of vegetation 

 and rarely to see or hear any sign of life. On March 12 we con- 

 tinued our advance, and finding that the Fjord here split up into 

 three or four channels, we chose the most westward of them. Our 

 progress was very slow owing to the west wind having packed the 

 ice. In the evening we made our camp among some dead trees 

 upon the margin of the water, and I wandered off into the thickets, 

 where I saw a Cordillera wolf I picked up a stone and threw it 

 at him, but this had no effect until I hit him with a small twig, 

 which made him growl. Finally he took refuge in a bush. 



It was while at this camp that we cut for the first time some 

 Lena dura as firing for the launch. It proved better than califate 

 and gave at least three times the amount of heat to be had from 

 robl^-wood. Afterwards, whenever possible, we burned no other 

 fuel than Lena dura. 



The following is from my diary : 



''March 21. — During this trip we have had a collapsible 



