OUR FIRST LANDINGS 61 
for us. We should still, we thought, have time for some 
work at dredging and in other directions, which we could 
not do without the boats. 
But, though we all ¢hough¢ the ice would be gone by 
that time, none of us could pronounce on such a point as 
this. This consideration added to my friend’s anxiety 
on my account. So then I relieved him of all concern 
and of all obligation. ‘Do not worry. If you can come, 
come. But if not, then we will cross with the Russians 
or the Samoyeds, or with any that do cross that sea. 
Or should the Russian gunboat give us a call we will 
go with her; and that is all one.’ 
Because the year before, when I was in Archangel, the 
governor had been so kind as to offer to send me in 
the gunboat when she went to Novaya Zemblya. And 
although that would have been too late for my venture, 
I had from Vardé the other day sent a note to Archangel 
inviting the officers to call and see us when they came 
that way. 
So thus it was arranged. 
The men knocked up a little sleigh, on which we 
entertained I scarcely know what hopes of bearing some 
things across the tundra. And at 8.30 in the evening we 
got all our packages into the boat and pulled away to 
Sauchika entry. 
We were foiled. 
For the wind was against the tide. Great rollers were 
running up and smashing on the shallow sands, and 
