20 " MARION " EXPEDITION TO DAVIS STRAIT AND BAFFIN BAY 



latter item was an unexpected and most welcome accommodation, 

 which made it certain that the Marion could visit the iceberg pro- 

 ducing glaciers at the eastern side of the bay and also complete her 

 projected oceanographic program at sea at a good speed and without 

 danger of fuel shortage. 



At 1 p. m. the Marion got underway for Jacobshavn, firing a 

 21-gun salute before leaving the harbor. The scientist, Mr. M. P. 

 Porsild, director of the Danish Arctic Station at Godhavn. accom- 

 panied the ship during her cruise around Disko Bay. He Avas a 

 mine of local information and his patient replies to innumerable 

 questions, as well as his tales about the life of Government agents, 



SOUTH SHORE OP DISKO ISLAND 



FiGUKH 15. — Along tbis coast, from left to right in the picture, there is a continual pro- 

 cession of icebergs being carried westward into Davis Strait. Many of the bergs 

 which pass this wireless station eventually find their way to the North Atlantic steam- 

 ship tracks. 



visiting scientists, and natives, were listened to with great attention. 

 Through his kindness our almost complete ignorance of the country 

 was gradually dispelled and we began to appreciate the true character 

 of the land we were so j^rivileged to visit. 



By 11 p. m. the Marion, had finished taking a row of stations east- 

 ward for 50 miles to the berg-choked entrance of the Jacobshavn 

 ice fiord. Over 500 large bergs from this fiord Avere sighted during 

 the run across Disko Bay. The tallest one that was passed close to 

 was found by means of sextant angles to be 265 feet high. 



The mountainous land behind Jacobshavn could be seen from 

 the moment Godhavn was left. Over these mountains of the main- 



