466 Thirty Years 
have been caused by the pressure of the ice ; and from 
the top of this berg we had the satisfaction of discov- 
ering that a large herd of reindeer were marching in 
line towards the opposite side of the channel. Our 
party was instantly on the alert, and the best hunters 
were sent in the Reliance in chase of them. The boat 
grounded about midway across, and the eager sports- 
men jumped overboard and hastened to the shore ; 
but such was their want of skill, that only three fawns 
were killed, out of a herd of three or four hundred. 
The supply, however, was sufficient for our present 
use, and the circumstances of the chase afforded amu- 
sing conversation for the evening. 
Thursday, Qn the morning of the 3rd a strong breeze 
set in from the east, which we were rejoiced to find 
caused a higher flood in the channel than we had yet 
seen, and the hope of effecting a passage by its course 
was revived ; as the ice was still fast to the reef, and 
likely to continue so, it was considered better to oc- 
cupy ourselves in dragging the boats through the 
mud, than to continue longer in this irksome spot, 
where the wood was already scarce, and the water in- 
different. The boats, therefore, proceeded with four 
men in each, while the rest of the crew walked along 
the shore, and rendered assistance wherever it was 
necessary, to drag them over the shallow parts. After 
four hours’ labor, we reached the eastern part of the 
