Report of the First Thule Expedition 1912. 289 



our progress, and, in addition, broken up the ice along the route we 

 should have taken north, to such an extent that I have decided to 

 alter our course entirely. 



"My reasons for so doing are as follows: In keeping along the 

 coast up to Fort Conger, and proceeding thence northward across the 

 continent to Peary Channel, I should be acting solely out of regard 

 to the possibility that Einar Mikkelsen might perhaps be at Fort 

 Conger. This choice of route will, however, probably result in our 

 being unable to carry out the journey to Peary Channel and back. 

 And on closer consideration, the prospect of Einar Mikkelsen's now 

 wintering for the third time at Fort Conger appears so slight, that I 

 do not feel justified in risking the whole of my own expedition upon 

 such vague grounds. 



I have therefore decided upon the following plan: Going up on 

 to the Clemens Markham glacier, I shall make for Danmarks Fjord, 

 and go on through the fjord to Cape Glacier, where Mikkelsen must 

 presumably have been: he would in such case doubtless have left a 

 report in Mylius Erichsen's cairn. If we find word from him here 

 to the effect that he has gone westward to Fort Conger, we will 

 then, after making a survey of Peary Channel, follow the coast to 

 there. 



Should we, on the other hand, find no trace of him whatever 

 either in Danmarks Fjord, at Cape Glacier, or in Peary Channel, we 

 must suppose that he has gone back to Danmarks Havn without having 

 reached so far. All endeavours to find him will then be in vain, and 

 nothing remains for us but to make the best of our way back. Our 

 route in such case will largely depend upon what game we are able 

 to procure, and nothing can be said at present as to this". 



We had now as much in the way of provisions and equipment 

 as was to be had. Of coffee, sugar, tea and tobacco we should, with 

 economy, have sufficient for about a couple of years; there was bread 

 enough to last out the journey over the inland ice, and the first few 

 days on the east coast ; we had two oil stoves with fully as much 

 petroleum as we should require for the crossing of the inland ice and 

 back; guns, and a two years' stock of ammunition, and in addition, 

 tools of every kind, enabling us to do whatever carpentering might 

 be required. 



We trusted most of all, however, to the Eskimo part of our 

 equipment, and it was this, on which the event of our expedition 

 ultimately depended. We had, it should be remembered, not only to 

 cross the inland ice; the real work did not begin until we had come 

 down on the other side, and that, moreover, on a coast which was 

 far from having any good repute. We had thus to be prepared for 

 what might possibly prove to be a lengthy stay. 



