326 . Knud Rasmussen. 



long and difficult march over the hills. I therefore contented myself 

 with giving Freuchen a report as to the progress of our expedition 

 up to date, leaving it to him to make such additions as might be ne- 

 cessary when they reached the cairn. By the afternoon of the 24th 

 they were back again already with good news, having discovered Peary's 

 report, and even found time to visit one of our musk ox depots, bring- 

 ing back some beautifully air-dried steaks, which came in well as a 

 festive meal for the occasion. 



There was indeed a festive spirit in the camp when Freuchen 

 produced the metal case and drew out Peary's twenty year old report. 



It ran as follows: 



North Greenland Expedition of 1891—92. 



Robert E. Peary, Civil Engineer, U. S. Navy. 



July 5, 1892. 



Have this day, with one companion, Eivind Astrup, and eight 

 dogs, reached this point via the Inland Ice from Mc Cormick Bay, 

 Whale Sound. We have travelled over 500 miles, and both we and the 

 dogs are in good condition. 



I have named this Fjord "Independence", in honour of that day, 

 July 4th, dear to all Americans, on which we looked down into it. 



Have killed five musk oxen in the valley above and seen several 

 others. 



I start back for Whale Sound tomorrow. 



(sd.) R. E. Peary, U. S. Navy. 



In addition to this, the cairn had contained a couple of articles 

 from an American paper concerning the Peary expedition. 



As will be seen from the above. Admiral Peary makes no mention 

 here of any channel, and even calls the place Independence Fjord. It 

 must therefore have been at a later date that the idea arose as to a 

 channel between North Greenland and Peary Land. In any case, it is 

 found marked on all American maps under the name of Peary Channel. 

 It is also impossible to see the base of the fjord from the point on 

 Navy Clifî where the cairn was built ; all that can be seen is that the 

 ice from the fjord runs farther on inland. This, with the fact that a 

 hollow runs through Valmuedalen over towards Nordenskjolds Inlet on 

 the west, explains how the theory originated. 



We had now reached Admiral Peary's final cairn, and thus com- 

 pleted the task at present before us. A complete survey of the con- 

 necting country would have to be left to a later expedition, as the dif- 

 ficulties of travel which we had already encountered had shown us that 

 there were limits to the demands which could in prudence be made 

 upon ourselves and the dogs without intermission. 



We learned, of course, on our return, of Einar Mikkelsen's find 

 at the cairn in Danmarks Fjord, at Mylius Erichsen's summer camp 



