SIGHTING GREENLAJND. 369 



ing out of sight, gave me timely warning ; so we put 

 back again to the more secure land-ice. 



In the bay below Cape Napoleon we found, on the 

 following day, secure footing, and reached Cape 

 Hawks without difficulty, in two more marches. 

 Thence we proceeded to follow our outward track 

 through the hummocks. The sledges being now light, 

 and Jensen having so far improved as to be able to 

 walk, we experienced less embarrassment than on our 

 outward journey ; but the dogs were now in a very 

 different condition, and lightness of load leveled not 

 the hummocks and made not the steep places smooth, 

 nor the ice less sharp, nor the snow-crusts less treach- 

 erous. The task was wearisome and exhausting to 

 the last degree, — a hard struggle, destructive to the 

 energies of men and dogs alike. 



Some snow had fallen, but,, fortunately, the wind 

 had drifted it from our tracks in many places, and we 

 found our way to the small provision caches which we 

 had left going north, and, luckily, they had all escaped 

 the observation of the bears except one ; but, having 

 made a good march on the first day from Cape Hawks, 

 we picked up the first cache we came to, and thus 

 saved a day's food, — a piece of good fortune which 

 we had not counted upon. 



The coast of Greenland rose at length into view, 

 and, steadily rising day by day, we came within sight 

 of Cairn Point ; but, for some time previous, we were 

 warned of the rapid advance of the season by the 

 dark water-sky which lay before us, showing that the 

 open water extended up to the Point, for which we 

 were shaping our course. On the north side of it, 

 however, the ice appeared to be solid. Thinking that 

 we could make the land in that direction, we pushed 



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