y　accident　occurred；　the　responsibility　would　rest　with　me；　and　although　I　do　not　believe　that　we　were　at　any　time　in　any　real　danger；　yet　from　our　inexperience　in　the　peculiarities　of　arctic　navigation；　I　think　the　coolest　judgment　would　have　been　liable　to　occasional　misgivings　as　to　what　might　arise　from　possible　contingencies。　Now；　however；　all　was　right；　the　result　had　justified　our　anticipations；　we　had　reached　the　so　longed…for　goal；　and　as　I　stowed　myself　snugly　away　in　the　hollow　of　my　cot；　I　could　not　help　heartily　congratulating　myself　thatfor　that　night　at　all　events　there　was　no　danger　of　the　ship　knocking　a　hole　in　her　bottom　against　some　hummock　which　the　lookout　had　been　too　sleepy　to　observe；　and　that　Wilson　could　not　come　in　the　next　morning　and　announce　〃ice　all　round；　a…all　ro…ound！〃　In　a　quarter　of　an　hour　afterwards；　all　was　still　on　board　the　〃Foam；〃　and　the　lonely　little　ship　lay　floating　on　the　glassy　bosom　of　the　sea；　apparently　as　inanimate　as　the　landscape。
  My　feelings　on　awakening　next　morning　were　very　pleasant；　something　like　what　one　used　to　feel　the　first　morning　after　one's　return　from　school；　on　seeing　pink　curtains　glistening　round　one's　head；　instead　of　the　dirty…white　boards　of　a　turned…up　bedstead。　When　Wilson　came　in　with　my　hot　water；　I　could　not　help　triumphantly　remarking　to　him；〃Well；　Wilson；　you　see　we've　got　to　Spitzbergen；　after　all！〃　But　Wilson　was　not　a　man　to　be　driven　from　his　convictions　by　facts；　he　only　smiled　grimly；　with　a　look　which　meant〃Would　we　were　safe　back　again！〃　Poor　Wilson！　he　would　have　gone　only　half　way　with　Bacon　in　his　famous　Apothegm；　he　would　willingly　〃commit　the　Beginnings　of　all　actions　to　Argus　with　his　hundred　eyes；　and　the　Ends〃to　Centipede；　with　his　hundred　legs。　〃First　to　watch；　and　then　to　speed〃away！　would　have　been　his　pithy　emendation。
  Immediately　after　breakfast　we　pulled　to　the　shore；　carrying　in　the　gig　with　us　the　photographic　apparatus；　tents；　guns；　ammunition；　and　the　goat。　Poor　old　thing！　she　had　suffered　dreadfully　from　sea…sickness；　and　I　thought　a　run　ashore　might　do　her　good。　On　the　left…hand　side　of　the　bay；　between　the　foot　of　the　mountain　and　the　sea；　there　ran　a　low　flat　belt　of　black　moss；　about　half　a　mile　broad；　and　as　this　appeared　the　only　point　in　the　neighbourhood　likely　to　offer　any　attraction　to　reindeer；　it　was　on　this　side　that　I　determined　to　land。　My　chief　reason　for　having　run　into　English　Bay　rather　than　Magdalena　Bay　was　because　we　had　been　told　at　Hammerfest　that　it　was　the　more　likely　place　of　the　two　for　deer；　and　as　we　were　sadly　in　want　of　fresh　meat　this　advantage　quite　decided　us　in　our　choice。　As　soon；　therefore；　as　we　had　superintended　the　erection　of　the　tent；　and　set　Wilson　hard　at　work　cleaning　the　glasses　for　the　photographs；　we　slung　our　rifles　on　our　backs；　and　set　off　in　search　of　deer。　But　in　vain　did　I　peer　through　my　telescope　across　the　dingy　flat　in　front；　not　a　vestige　of　a　horn　was　to　be　seen；　although　in　several　places　we　came　upon　impressions　of　their　track。　At　last　our　confidence　in　the　reports　of　their　great　plenty　became　considerably　diminished。　　Still　the　walk　was　very　refreshing　after　our　confinement　on　board；　and　although　the　thermometer　was　below　freezing；　the　cold　only　made　the　exercise　more　pleasant。　A　little　to　the　northward　I　observed；　lying　on　the　sea…shore；　innumerable　logs　of　driftwood。　This　wood　is　floated　all　the　way　from　America　by　the　Gulf　Stream；　and　as　I　walked　from　one　huge　bole　to　another；　I　could　not　help　wondering　in　what　primeval　forest　each　had　grown；　what　chance　had　originally　cast　them　on　the　waters；　and　piloted　them　to　this　desert　shore。　Mingled　with　this　fringe　of　unhewn　timber　that　lined　the　beach　lay　waifs　and　strays　of　a　more　sinister　kind；　pieces　of　broken　spars；　an　oar；　a　boat's　flagstaff；　and　a　few　shattered　fragments　of　some　long…lost　vessel's　planking。　　Here　and　there；　too；　we　would　come　upon　skulls　of　walrus；　ribs　and　shoulder…blades　of　bears；　brought　possibly　by　the　ice　in　winter。　Turning　again　from　the　sea；　we　resumed　our　search　for　deer；　but　two　or　three　hours'　more　very　stiff　walking　produced　no　better　luck。　Suddenly　a　cry　from　Fitz；　who　had　wandered　a　little　to　the　right；　brought　us　helter…skelter　to　the　spot　where　was　standing。　But　it　was　not　a　stag　he　had　called　us　to　come　and　look　upon。　Half　imbedded　in　the　black　moss　at　his　feet；　there　lay　a　grey　deal　coffin　falling　almost　to　pieces　with　age；　the　lid　was　goneblown　off　probably　by　the　windand　within　were　stretched　the　bleaching　bones　of　a　human　skeleton。　A　rude　cross　at　the　head　of　the　grave　still　stood　partially　upright；　and　a　half　obliterated　Dutch　inscription　preserved　a　record　of　the　dead　man's　name　and　age。
  。。。。。VANDER　SCHELLING。。。。　　　　COMMAN。。。。JACOB　MOOR。。。。　　　　OB　2　JUNE　1758　AET　44。
  ＇Figure：　fig…p174。gif＇
  It　was　evidently　some　poor　whaler　of　the　last　century　to　whom　his　companions　had　given　the　only　burial　possible　in　this　frost…hardened　earth；　which　even　the　summer　sun　has　no　force　to　penetrate　beyond　a　couple　of　inches；　and　which　will　not　afford　to　man　the　shallowest　grave。　A　bleak　resting…place　for　that　hundred　years'　slumber；　I　thought；　as　I　gazed　on　the　dead　mariner's　remains！
  〃I　was　snowed　over　with　snow；　　　　　And　beaten　with　rains；　　　　　And　drenched　with　the　dews；　　　　　Dead　have　I　long　been；〃
  murmured　the　Vala　to　Odin　in　Nifelheim；and　whispers　of　a　similar　import　seemed　to　rise　up　from　the　lidless　coffin　before　us。　It　was　no　brother　mortal　that　lay　at　our　feet；　softly　folded　in　the　embraces　of　〃Mother　Earth；〃　but　a　poor　scarecrow；　gibbeted　for　ages　on　this　bare　rock；　like　a　dead　Prometheus；　the　vulture；　frost；　gnawing　for　ever　on　his　bleaching　relics；　and　yet　eternally　preserving　them！
  On　another　part　of　the　coast　we　found　two　other　corpses　yet　more　scantily　sepulchred；　without　so　much　as　a　cross　to　mark　their　resting…place。　Even　in　the　palmy　days　of　the　whale…fisheries；　it　was　the　practice　of　the　Dutch　and　English　sailors　to　leave　the　wooden　coffins　in　which　they　had　placed　their　comrades'　remains；　exposed　upon　the　shore；　and　I　have　been　told　by　an　eye…witness；　that　in　Magdalena　Bay　there　are　to　be　seen；　even　to　this　day；　the　bodies　of　men　who　died　upwards　of　250　years　ago；　in　such　complete　preservation　that；　when　you　pour　hot　water　on　the　icy　coating　which　encases　them；　you　can　actually　see　the　unchanged　features　of　the　dead；　through　the　transparent　incrustation。
  As　soon　as　Fitz　had　gathered　a　few　of　the　little　flowering　mosses　that　grew　inside　the　coffin；　we　proceeded　on　our　way；　leaving　poor　Jacob　Moorlike　his　great　namesakealone　in　his　glory。
  Turning　to　the　right；　we　scrambled　up　the　spur　of　one　of　the　mountains　on　the　eastern　side　of　the　plain；　and　thence　dived　down　among　the　lateral　valleys　that　run　up　between　them。　Although　by　this　means　we　opened　up　quite　a　new　system　of　hills；　and　basins；　and　gullies；　the　general　scenery　did　not　change　its　characteristics。　All　vegetationif　the　black　moss　deserves　such　a　nameceases　when　you　ascend　twenty　feet　above　the　level　of　the　sea；　and　the　sides　of　the　mountains　become　nothing　but　steep　slopes　of　schist；　split　and　crumbled　into　an　even　surface　by　the　frost。　Every　step　we　took　unfolded　a　fresh　succession　of　these　jagged　spikes　and　break…neck　acclivities；　in　an　unending　variety　of　quaint　configuration。　Mountain　climbing　has　never　been　a　hobby　of　mine；　so　I　was　not　tempted　to　play　the　part　of　Excelsior　on　any　of　these　hill　sides；　but　for　those　who　love　such　exercise　a　fairer　or　a　more　dangerous　opportunity　of　distinguishing　themselves　could　not　be　imagined。　The　supercargo　or　owner　of　the　very　first　Dutch　ship　that　ever　came　to　Spitzbergen；　broke　his　neck　in　attempting　to　climb　a　hill　in　Prince　Charles's　Foreland。　Barentz　very　nearly　lost　several　of　his　men　under　similar　circumstances；　and　when　Scoresby　succeeded　in　making　the　ascent　of　another　hill　near　Horn　Sound；　it　was　owing　to　his　having　taken　the　precaution　of　marking　each　upward　step　in　chalk；　that　he　was　ever　able　to　get　down　again。　The　prospect　from　the　summit；　the　approach　to　which　was　by　a　ridge　so　narrow　that　he　sat　astride　upon　its　edge；　seems　amply　to　have　repaid　the　exertion；　and　I　do　not　think　I　can　give　you　a　better　idea　of　the　general　effect　of　Spitzbergen　scenery；　than　by　quoting　his　striking　description　of　the　panorama　he　beheld：
  〃The　prospect　was　most　extensive　and　grand。　A　fine　sheltered　bay　was　seen　to　the　east　of　us；　an　arm　of　the　same　on　the　north…east；　and　the　sea；　whose　glassy　surface　was　unruffled　by　a　breeze；　formed　an　immense　expanse　on　the　west；　the　icebergs　rearing　their　proud　crests　almost　to　the　tops　of　mountains　between　which　they　were　lodged；　and　defying　the　power　of　the　solar　beams；　were　scattered　in　various　directions　about　the　sea…coast　and　in　the　adjoining　bays。　Beds　of　snow　and　ice　filling　extensive　hollows；　and　giving　an　enamelled　coat　to　adjoining　valleys；　one　of　which　commencing　at　the　foot　of　the　mountain　where　we　stood　extended　in　a　continued　line　towards　the　north；　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reachmountain　rising　above　mountain；　until　by　distance　they　dwindled　into　insignificancythe　whole　contrasted　by　a　cloudless　canopy　of　deepest　azure；　and　enlightened　by　the　rays　of　a　blazing　sun；　and　the　effect　aided　by　a　feeling　o