General observations as to natural conditions. 359 



and the sea, growing continually wider as the two directions diverge. 

 We found a piece of drift wood on the shore. 



As long as the belt of land is narrow and steeply sloping, it is fertile 

 throughout, and well watered by the melting of the ice from the rocks 

 above. As it broadens out, however, the water collects in lakes and 

 some few streams. Here the vegetation is mainly restricted to these 

 more favourable parts; on the whole, however, the entire belt may be 

 said to be very fertile. 



8th to 12th June; (Lat. 82°11' N., long. 29°10' W.). 



We were now in an ideal hunting country. In the immediate vicinity 

 of the tent, three herds of musk ox were grazing, hare and ptarmigan 

 abounded, and seals lay out on the ice basking in the sun, so that we 

 could get as many as we wanted. Down by the fjord, the ground was 

 again divided up into meadows and marshy patches near the lakes and 

 streams, while farther inland, towards the rocky heights, the country 

 rose somewhat, with big hills, these last, however, with a rich growth 

 of Arctic willows, and consequently affording good feeding grounds for 

 musk ox. 



The icebergs and sikosak which had drifted ashore — so thickly 

 at times as to form a regular' little mountain range along the shore — 

 showed, as did also the lie of the snowdrifts and the appearance of the 

 vegetation, that south-westerly winds prevail. The water had now 

 formed channels in the ice, and the snow was firm, rendering progress 

 much easier. Some birds of passage made their appearance during these 

 days, viz ; Arctic Tern {Sterna macrura), Glaucous Gull {Larus glaiicus), 

 Шает duck {Somateria spectabilis {?), Barnacle goose (Л;г5ег leucopsis) etc. 



On the 12th June (Lat. 82°9' N., long. 29°45' W.) we started out 

 again, halting off Gape Harald Moltke to take observations, and also 

 to provide the dogs with sandals in order to protect their paws from 

 the needle points formed in the ice by the action of the sun. The ground 

 changes now to raised beaches, with a slope some 10 metres high out 

 towards the bottom. Here I found the remains of a whale skeleton, 

 lying loose on the slope. Behind this terrace lies another, about 40 metres 

 above the sea, its horizontal gravel surface losing itself in the general 

 hilly formation about a couple of metres farther inland. In the middle 

 of this belt of land rises an isolated pyramidal rock, apparently about 

 300 metres high, and very conspicuous on account of its position. From 

 Cape Harald Moltke a good view is obtained out over Brønlunds Fjord, 

 This seems to be drawn somewhat too large on Hagen's map, 

 the part which curves off towards the west behind Cape Knud Rasmussen 

 soon after leading up into a valley. This last was, it is true, covered 

 with snow, and thus difficult to distinguish from the Fjord itself, low 

 and even as it is ; it continues, however, far out to the west. Cape Harald 

 Moltke itself is formed by the raised terrace above referred to. A number 



