IN SCHAROK CAMP 193 
Later on I made a plan of Scharok harbour and its 
entry, but it will be enough to say now that there is 
nowhere any expanse of deep water; only immediately 
under the huts runs a wide creek which, after three 
windings, finds it way out into the sea over a low bar 
some two miles off. This entry we could clearly see, 
because it was free from grounded ice. 
There is far more to be done when settling down into 
camp life than many might suppose. As we had no 
bucket or water-can, the Samoyed plan of melting snow 
for drinking purposes would not do. But we found a 
place down by the edge of the creek where a tiny stream 
came under the snow. Breaking a hole through the 
snow-crust we tapped the water and found it good. But 
this spot was a long way off from our tent. 
Also we collected a quantity of tightly rolled-up birch 
bark, which we found along high-water mark, for lighting 
fires. 
I have often puzzled over the origin of these rolls. 
They are found in abundance on our own east coast after 
heavy northerly gales, and are spoken of by writers on 
Spitzbergen and Novaya Zemblya. It has been sug- 
gested that they are used as floats by the Norwegian 
fishermen. I scarcely think this would explain the 
immense quantities in which they are found. Every 
tide brought in a fresh supply, and we had a constant 
store for fire-lighting. For this purpose birch bark is 
superior even to pitch pine, for it catches instantaneously, 
N 
