NANSEN CROSSES GREENLAND 263 



even than yesterday, and to say it was like hauling in 

 blue clay will scarcely give an idea of it. At every 

 step we had to use all our force to get the heavy 

 sledges along, and in the evening Sverdrup and I, who 

 had to go first and plough a way for ourselves, were 

 pretty well done up." 



When at last the wind became favourable they 

 hoisted sail, and off they went over the waves and drifts 

 of snow at a speed that almost took their breath away; 

 and when they reached the western slopes they slid 

 down them using the sledges as toboggans. At first 

 they had intended making for Christianshaab, but the 

 route had to be changed for that to Godthaab, and 

 the sea was reached some distance to the south. Here 

 they stitched the floor-sheet of their tent over a frame- 

 work of withies, and with oars made of canvas stretched 

 across forked willows and tied to bamboo shafts, 

 Nansen and Sverdrup boldly trusted themselves to the 

 waves and with much hard labour pulled into Ny 

 Herrnhut on the 3rd of October. Such was the first 

 crossing of Greenland, a really remarkable instance of 

 daring endeavour. 



Further north, Nordenskiold, in 1883, had attempted 

 to cross over the ice-cap from near Disco on the west 

 coast, but, hindered and finally stopped by crevasses 

 and other obstacles, could do no more than send 

 his Lapps to try their best on their skis, and 

 they returned after their journey eastwards of a 

 hundred and forty miles reporting similar monotonous 

 conditions all along their track. Thirteen years 

 before, he had, also from Auleitsivik Fiord, started out 

 with Berggren ; and deserted by their followers, they 



