The first Thule Expedition 1912, 

 Plan and Equipment. 



Our original plan was to go northwards along the coast, as far 

 up as Nordenskjolds Inlet, and commence investigations there. The 

 news brought by our summer ship in 1911, however, induced us to 

 make various alterations in the arrangements originally made, and as 

 this subsequently proved of decisive importance to the expedition, it 

 must be briefly referred to here. 



The communication in question was to the effect that serious 

 anxiety was entertained at home as to the fate of Einar Mikkelsen, 

 and as it was presumed that he would, in the course of his journey 

 round the north of Greenland, so arrange his route as to touch at 

 our station, both Freuchen and I considered it our unquestionable 

 duty as comrades to extend our original plan by the addition of a 

 relief expedition on his behalf. 



This extension of the previous scheme necessitated the making 

 of two journeys: 



1. A reconnoitring expedition in Melville Bay. 



There was a possibility that we might, in the course of our 

 search, make our way so far round on to the east coast that the 

 homeward journey might thence be most easily accomplished by way 

 of the inland ice, making the descent somewhere in Melville Bay. 

 In such case, it would be of great importance to have gained some 

 previous knowledge as to the conditions under which a descent there 

 would have to be made. 



In the course of this reconnaissance, which I made in company 

 with the Eskimo Qulutanguaq during the months of October — No- 

 vember, I had the misfortune to be overtaken by a violent S. W. 

 storm, which broke up the ice in Melville Bay. Finding ourselves 

 thus prevented from making our way into the land, we were forced 

 to take refuge on the inland ice. Here, close by a small nunatak, 

 we managed to keep ourselves alive under somewhat hazardous 

 conditions, aggravated by violent torrents of rain; one of the worst 

 things to encounter when in winter kit. Fortunately, however, we 

 had secured four bears before the storm came on, and had thus 

 provisions both for ourselves and the dogs. We succeeded at last 



