OUR FIRST LANDINGS 45 
had been pulled out of the ground evidently by human 
hands. Powys picked up two bears’ skulls, and a curiously 
shaped and drilled bit of bone, which the mate pro- 
nounced a bit of walrus tusk shaped for a harpoon 
handle. But I had no doubt that it was formed of 
reindeer horn; though as to its significance I could not 
make any guess. It was, as I knew later, a powder 
measure. Of which more in its place. 
Of mammals we saw evidences of none, except a fox’s 
track, droppings, and kennel in the moss; the footprint 
of a reindeer, and another like that of a wolf. But this 
no doubt was a dog’s. 
The bogs were only soft on the top. Two inches 
below the surface your foot struck the ice, so that it was 
much like walking on a London pavement in time of 
slush. 
For some time we steamed slowly on in front of the 
ice. But with the neap tide it fell again to the south. 
We seemed to be clear of it for a bit, and began to look 
out for a good anchorage. At midnight, however, the 
ice reappeared and chased us up, stretching away on 
our port bow. But as we found we could just keep it in 
hand without steam, and as it had become important to 
save every possible ounce of coal, we dodged along the 
edge of the pack northward under jib, And so we 
went all that morning. 
June 17.—At noon we had the trawl out, and worked 
