There were frequent landings, often with difficulties in the return, due generally to attempts at making a short cut to the shore or across the ice. Of these short cuts the very shortest was that made by one of the sailors named Spinks, who was out with a party in pursuit of reindeer. The ardour of the chase had led them beyond the prescribed limits, and when the signal was made for their return to the boat some of them were upon the top of a hill. Spinks, an active and zealous fellow, anxious to be first at his post, thought he would outstrip his comrades by descending the snow, which was banked against the mountain at an angle of about 40° with the horizon, and rested against a small glacier on the left. The height was about two thousand feet, and in the event of his foot slipping there was nothing to impede his progress until he reached the beach, either by the slope or the more terrific descent of the face of the glacier. He began his career by digging his heels into the snow, the surface of which was rather hard. At first he got on very well, but presently his foot slipped, or the snow was too hard for his heel to make an impression, and he increased in speed, keeping his balance, however, by means of his hands. In a very short time his descent was fearfully quick; the fine snow flew about him like dust, and there seemed but little chance of his reaching the bottom in safety, especially as his course was taking him in the direction of the glacier. For a moment he was lost sight of behind a crag of the mountain, and it was thought he had gone over the glacier, but with great presence of mind and dexterity, "by holding water first with one hand and then the other," to use his own expression, he contrived to escape the danger, and, like a skilful pilot, steered into a place of refuge amid a bed of soft snow recently drifted against the hill. When he extricated himself from the depths into which he had been plunged he had to hold together his tattered clothes, for he had worn away two pairs of trousers and something more. That was all his damage, and we shall meet with him again in the west out with Franklin and Captain Back.