Survey of Northeast Greenland. 85 
and too sensitive to cold and damp, but the fact that the negatives 
can only be developed after each trip is ended, everywhere necessitates 
the making of perspective sketches of the land, even if it is also 
photographed. While photogrammetry must thus be considered im- 
practicable for the carrying out of the chief cartographical pro- 
gramme, there would have been good reason to attemp stereo-photo- 
grammetry applied to minute surveys in the neighbourhood of the 
winter quarters. But owing to our total lack of knowledge of the 
conditions of the land which we set out to discover, I could not, 
with any certainty, take it for granted that the stereo-photo-theodolite 
could be used. Consequently, I also had to base the minute survey 
on methods which had stood the test under arctic conditions, and 
therefore I dared not propose the purchase of the rather expensive 
stereo-photo-theodolite. 
It is a universal misconception that the sextant is an indispens- 
able instrument on voyages of geographical exploration, and therefore 
one usually brings a sextant and an artificial horizon in addition to 
a theodolite. In former times, when the determination of longitude by 
lunar distances played a great part, and when the theodolite had not 
reached its present stage of perfection as regards lightness, safe 
packing and transportability, it was justifiable to bring a sextant. 
Now, however, things are quite different. A small universal instru- 
ment is just as capable of resisting rough handling as a sextant; it 
gives the same accuracy in the astronomical determinations as a large 
sextant does; it is, in a much higher degree than the sextant, inde- 
pendent of wind and of the altitude of the sun, and finally it may 
be said to be greatly superior to the sextant in every form of terre- 
strial survey. For nautical use there were, however, in the ship of 
the expedition a large number of sextants, which gave me a chance 
of taking an artificial horizon with me, so that in cases of emergency 
the sextants could be used ashore. 
Inventory of the instruments étc. intended for use in the 
survey work. 
oo 
cost | 
Object | (danish supplied by | to be used 
| crowns) | | 
| | 
1 field observatory _ 300 | Københavns Pavillonbyggeri | in the winter quarters 
1 granite pillar | 10 | Wienbergs Stenhuggeri, Co- | in the Observatory 
| penhagen | 
4 barrels cement > = LE 
1 iron table | | Wagners Metalvarefabrik, == — 
Copenhagen 
