Report of the First Thule Expedition 1912. 317 



without leaving a report. As we iiad now, on our way through Dan- 

 marks Fjord, found nothing of the kind, we were forced to conclude 

 that they must have turned back before reaching the fjord. With no 

 such information to act upon, it would be hopeless for us to go in 

 search of them, as they might well have gone off, for instance, to the 

 inhabited station at Angmagssalik. Should they, however, by some 

 chance have passed the cairn without depositing any report, then we 

 should, by continuing our way up to Peary Channel, be going in their 

 direction. 



It was not until my return home that I learned how Einar Mik- 

 kelsen had been in Danmarks Fjord, and had there found two reports 

 from Mylius Erichsen. 



In thus neglecting to leave a copy of the reports which he had 

 found, together with a brief indication of his own recent and intended 

 movements, Einar Mikkelsen acted imprudently. If he and Iversen 

 had subsequently perished — a possibility which had to be considered 

 — no trace of them would have been left, in addition to which, My- 

 lius Erichsen's reports would have been lost altogether. 



It will thus be understood that we had good reason for supposing 

 that Einar Mikkelsen had never been in Danmarks Fjord at all. 



We now followed the coast to about the mouth of Hagens Fjord, 

 where we arrived on the 5th of June. With the exception of a seal 

 shot close to Cape Kronborg, we had found no game since leaving 

 Sjællands Sletten, although we had twice made excursions inland. The 

 coast here was wild and desolate; a barren, melancholy place. It was 

 newly formed land, all clay, without vegetation or game. We there- 

 fore decided to cross over to Peary Land, which we reached on the 

 following day. 



And here we found ourselves suddenly as it were transported to 

 another quarter of the globe. We sighted musk ox even before reaching 

 land, and our first impression, as soon as we had crossed the ice limit 

 up on to the shore, was one of fertility and hfe. It was a real delight 

 to see, not clay, nor rocks, nor gravel, but earth; mould, dotted every- 

 where with red blossoming saxifrage. Along the river banks were tracks 

 of musk ox, hare, and lemming, and in the air above, the skuas 

 shrieked out a welcome. 



From the moment we started off along the coast of Peary Land, 

 it was like new life to ourselves and the dogs. Save for one or two 

 short spells of ill luck, we now found abundance both of musk ox 

 and seal. 



Naturally also, it was here that we made one of the most inter- 

 esting discoveries of the expedition, encountering at several places old 

 Eskimo tent rings as evidence of previous occupation. 



The tent rings above referred to were all situated close to the 

 mouth of Brønlunds Fjord, some on the eastern side, others on the west. 



23* 



