358 P. Freuchen. 



both among ourselves and the dogs, rendering it imperative to give up 

 all idea of exploring the inner portion of Hagens Fjord. 



On the 5th June, we reached the mouth of a big river at about 

 long. 25°30' W. on the coast of Melville Land, east of Brønlunds Fjord. 

 While still out on the ice we sighted a couple of musk ox on land, and 

 going up on shore we found fertile fields, alternating with gravel hills. 

 All the hollows were well watered and covered with a close carpet of 

 grass. Lemmings, hares and ptarmigan were numerous, and during the 

 two hours or so we spent on shore we saw first two, then one, and later 

 four musk ox, besides numbers of fresh tracks. We were unable to stay 

 longer on account of the river; even when we landed it had already 

 become difficult to get forward, as great masses of river water were 

 spreading out over the ice, turning the snow to slush, and greatly impe- 

 ding progress, while closer in to shore, the river had melted the ice of 

 the fjord altogether, and was pouring down in a torrent. The river itself, 

 which branched off into a number of minor channels towards the mouth, 

 ran at right angles to the coast for the last part of the way, the channel 

 turning westward, however, a little farther up, and being probably fed 

 from a glacier which we fancied we could distinguish in the distance. 

 It had cut its way down, not only through the moraine deposit, which 

 was here only some 3 — 4 metres thick, but also deep into the rock beneath, 

 so that we were able to take samples on the spot. The current was fu- 

 riously strong, and we had considerable difficulty in crossing, laden as 

 we were with big loads of musk ox meat, although the water did not 

 reach above our knees. An hour later, however, the river had risen so 

 rapidly as to fill several of the channels in the delta which had been 

 dry when we arrived, the volume of water increasing to such a degree 

 that we had difficulty in getting out on to the ice again. When I returned 

 to the sledges with a load of meat, after an absence of three hours, I 

 found the ice hardly recognisable, owing to the water which had poured 

 out over it. We were forced to leave behind the greater part of two 

 musk ox which we had shot, and hurry back out on to the ice. 



During these days it was difficult going close in to land, as the 

 river water massed on the sea ice until it thawed a passage way to the 

 fissures already made. This once effected, the ice became dry and good 

 once more. 



East of Brønlund's Fjord a Ипв of sediment rock commenced, rising 

 gradually to a height of about 800 metres, the precipitous cliffs running 

 in a straight line from west to north and continuing round behind Brøn- 

 lunds Fjord, broken here and there, however, by ravines and river beds. 

 At the eastern end, the line of cliffs reaches right out to the coast, ter- 

 minating in a sheer face of rock rising directly from the water; stones 

 fallen from above lie strewn out over the ice. As the coast draws away 

 to the south, however, a belt of land appears, between the rock face 



