Report of the First Thule Expedition 1912. 337 



have now disappeared, and the snow is level and firm. For the last 

 few days we have been forced to take the poorest of the dogs to feed 

 their comrades. 



Camp 19. å — 5 September. 



Sighted land to the southward soon after starting; it is unrecog- 

 nisable from where we are, most of the peaks being wTapped in mist, 

 but we take it to be the country due North of Melville Bay, about 

 Sidebriks Fjord and Cape Melville. There is also a glimpse of land 

 visible ahead, and to the northward. 



It is excellent going now, and we make 52 km. in 12 hours. 



There is a remarkably fine moonlight effect visible from the camp, 

 with wondrously delicate yellow tints to the north-east, and huge blue- 

 black land clouds ahead, making a most picturesque contrast. 



Camp 20. 4 September. 



We had not got more than 10 km. out todaj'' when we sighted 

 land, a whole broad view of it rising above the horizon right ahead. 

 Despite all our attempts, we do not succeed in recognizing it, partly 

 because the outlines are somewhat hidden by the mist, and partly 

 because we are more accustomed to see it from the other side, and 

 not from behind, as here. We very soon realise, however, that we must 

 be out of our course somehow. Despite the awkwardness of the situ- 

 ation thus revealed, we cannot suppress our delight at having land in 

 sight ; it is like bathing one's eyes to look out over the beautiful bluish- 

 grey tints laid in waves over the heights. Behind us, all is dazzling 

 white, now doubly painful to the eyes by contrast. 



There is only one thing to be done ; we must get on until we aVe 

 near enough to make certain of our position. Keenly alert, we hurry 

 down until we can clearly distinguish the land ahead. It does not take 

 us long: looking out through a little fjord below we discover Qeqer- 

 tarssuaq, and at once recognise Iterdlagssuaq and the country behind 

 Qânâ. 



Alas, we have altered our dates the wrong way round after all, 

 and thus, setting our course by observations, fetched round to the 

 north side of Inglefield Gulf instead of the south. Today is therefore, 

 as we subsequently proved on our arrival home, the 4th of September, 

 and not the 6th, as we had. thought. 



This is hard lines indeed on the dogs, as we have now no more 

 food to give them. Of the 27 with which we started, 20 got through 

 to the west coast, after covering the 850 km. from Navy Cliff to the 

 north side of Inglefield Gulf, in 20 working days, making an average 

 of 43 km. per day's run, in spite of the ^\тetched state of the snow 

 for two thirds of the journey. And now, instead of having, as we had 

 reckoned, a couple of days' journey home, we find ourselves forced to 



