CHAPTER V 
OUR FIRST LANDINGS 
June 16th.—The weather was so still and quiet that 
it seemed quite safe to leave the Saxox for a bit and see 
something of the island, before going south again to 
find whether the ice had moved. 
So at 10.30 on this morning we got into the small 
boat, Powys with Duchess his retriever, rifle and gun, 
I with the old spaniel Sailor, my gun with various shot, 
and four rounds of ball cartridge. We took with us in 
the boat Thomas Hyland (our bird-skinner), the skipper, 
the mate, and four men to pull. 
We found the beach partly covered with a coating of ice, 
formed no doubt by the washing of the waves. This ice 
stretched away out over the sea, forming a solid platform 
indented with little creeks and bays. Into one of these 
we ran the boat, and jumped out at last on to the ice. 
Powys took the mate and two of the men, while 
Thomas Hyland came with me. The other two men 
returned to the Saxon with the skipper to prosecute 
soundings. It was of course arranged that if anything 
should call for our sudden return the steam whistle 
should be sounded. 
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