NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS 



for his sextant, only to be disappointed, for no 

 sooner is he back than the sun is again hidden. 

 We badly need an observation of the sun for we 

 are now approaching the Greenland coast with 

 its thousands of rocky islands and half submerged 

 reefs. We note sharp changes of temperature. A 

 thermometer which Fergusson swung on deck gave 

 a reading of 59°F. in the morning and 38°F. in 

 the afternoon. A little after eight in the evening 

 the cry of "Land Ho" came down to the cabin 

 where Fergusson was just finishing a very interest- 

 ing talk on our meteorological instruments. We 

 rushed on deck and saw clearly to starboard the 

 high Greenland coast with one area where tongues 

 of ice could be made out. 



While we were watching the coast a quite re- 

 markable cloud in nature and form resembling 

 thunder-heads was seen massed along the coast, 

 and this could be explained by cold air riding out 

 over warmer. A little later this developed into a 

 white uniform mass near the surface of the sea 

 beneath a dark nimbus-like curtain. 



In the night following we had a gale and with 

 sails set made a speed of from eight to ten knots, 

 the shore always in sight about five miles off on the 

 starboard beam. All night the Captain was up 

 studying the mountainous coast; for Greenland is 



14 



