If These Are The
Effects Of The Climate Within An Air-Tight, Fire-Warmed,
Crowded Hut - What Must They Be Among The Dark, Storm-Lashed
Mountain-Peaks Outside?
It was now time to think of going south again; we had
spent many more days on the voyage
To Spitzbergen than
I had expected, and I was continually haunted by the
dread of your becoming anxious at not hearing from us.
It was a great disappointment to be obliged to return
without having got any deer; but your peace of mind was
of more consequence to me than a ship-load of horns, and
accordingly we decided on not remaining more than another
day in our present berth leaving it still an open question
whether we should not run up to Magdalena Bay, if the
weather proved very inviting, the last thing before
quitting for ever the Spitzbergen shores.
We had killed nothing as yet, except a few eider ducks,
and one or two ice-birds - the most graceful winged
creatures I have ever seen, with immensely long pinions,
and plumage of spotless white. Although enormous seals
from time to time used to lift their wise, grave faces
above the water, with the dignity of sea-gods, none of
us had any very great inclination to slay such rational
human-looking creatures, and - with the exception of
these and a white fish, a species of whale - no other
living thing had been visible. On the very morning,
however, of the day settled for our departure, Fitz came
down from a solitary expedition up a hill with the news
of his having seen some ptarmigan.
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