RESULTS OF THE EXPEDITION. 819 



34 degrees below zero. The sun has not made his appear- 

 ance to-day. We have not seen the east shore yet. I 

 hope to see the island of Disco ; the land is very high 

 there, but I am afraid we will drift past it. We cannot 

 help ourselves, however. We are in the hands of God, 

 and I am thankful. Hans shot a dovekie. I hope he 

 will give it to his boy. 



"January 27. Calm ; very cold ; mercury frozen ; thick 

 this morning; clearing up now. The sun is out. Mr. 

 Meyer took an altitude of the sun to-day and an observa- 

 tion from a star last night. He makes it latitude 69 32'. 

 Godhavn, in the island of Disco, is in 69 13', that leaves us 

 nineteen miles north of our storehouse, which I am afiaid 

 we will never see. God knows where we will fetch up. 

 Mr. Meyer thinks we are forty-two miles from the east 

 shore ; but I am afraid he does not know much about it. 



"February 4. A gale from the west; very thick snow- 

 drift. I seldom see it snow here, for when it is blowing 

 hard the snow comes like flour with the wind. Whether 

 the snow falls or the wind takes it up from the ice I can- 

 not tell, but it is so fine and thick you cannot see. There 

 is no leaving the hut in such weather, as the snow is always 

 either drifting or falling with the blow no matter from 

 what quarter. Then there is no going out, as it fills the 

 eyes, and will penetrate almost anything. The tempera- 

 ture to-day has been from 16 to 10 below zero. All are 

 well, thank God, but me. I have a slight touch of the 

 scurvy and feel very ailing, but, please God, it will soon 

 leave me. We hope when this blow is over we shall see 

 the land and have a little open water." 



On the 7th, Hans secured a fine seal, and shot a large 

 narwhal, or sea-unicorn, but he turned belly up and sank. 

 The half-starved party felt this as an actual loss, as this 

 one narwhal would have supplied food for nearly a month. 

 The next day five or six more were shot, but all got away 

 under the ice. On the 16th, a large number of whales 



