WE WALK ACROSS IOI 
or water with perpendicular sides to the height of four 
or five feet. 
At 11 A.M. we had lunch on a high, barren hill, and, 
crossing a river which ran at its foot, headed for some 
mountains which loomed high in the distance. 
These mountains looked as if they might be at least 
1000 feet high. But long ere this we had learned to 
mistrust the evidence of our senses in this strange 
land. 
A story such as that of the five bernacle geese (told 
earlier in this account) might well meet with a smile of 
incredulity from those who have not themselves been in 
Northern regions. But the following quotations will 
show that ours was but part of the common experience 
of Arctic voyagers. 
One morning, when we were in Mossel Bay, we were roused 
by the watch at an unusually early hour, who announced that 
there were twenty or thirty deer by the shore washing them- 
selves in the sea. Field-glasses and telescopes were brought to 
bear upon the dark moving objects, and two boats were lowered 
immediately to take ashore the three eager sportsmen and the 
captain, all anxious to secure some of these, the first reindeer 
we had met with. Ascending to the crow’s nest soon after they 
had left the ship, I saw through the ship’s glass what was taking 
place, and anticipated the results of the drive. It was evidently 
nothing but a wild-goose chase ; so I made my way down and 
announced that there would be no venison for breakfast that 
morning. After they had rowed some miles, the hungry sports- 
men returned empty-handed ; but they had seez the geese." 
1 Rev. A. E. Eaton, Zoologist, Nov. 1873. 
