Survey of Northeast Greenland. 203 
Varderyggen (the cairn ridge), Harefjeldet (the hare hill) and on the 
west side of the northern part of Store Koldewey. We were very 
lucky in so far, as we really succeeded in doing this. 
The reconnoitring was performed in a very systematic manner. 
First of all we selected a line, which lent itself to the base measure- 
ment. As we lacked the means of making a particularly careful 
centration of the instrument and of a very accurate putting up of 
signals, it was necessary to make the base comparatively long. A 
suitable terrain for the base was found at once, immediately north 
of the Observatory. From the termini of this line a very cursory 
angle measuring was made by means of a theodolite at certain points 
in the neighbourhood, which might be supposed to be suitable for 
stations (Harefjeldet, Thermometerfjeldet, Østre and Vestre Havnenæs), 
and from there again corresponding rough angle measurements were 
made. The results of the measurements were, by means of a pro- 
tractor, marked off on a piece of paper, in which manner a prelimi- 
nary “graphic” triangulation net was provided, which furnished excellent 
guidance at the determination of the localities, in which the nearest 
and a good number of the more remote stations were to be selected. 
After that we at once set about building the cairns at the 
stations Ш, IV, IX and XI. This was done in the following manner: 
In order to create a permanent station mark a hole, about 6 cm 
deep, was made in the solid rock by means of a hammer and stone 
bore. Into this a prismatic brass bolt, 8 cm long, was driven right 
home. On the brass bolt a bamboo stick, about 2'/2 m long, was 
placed in a vertical position and supported by means of three stays 
made of wire. Using the bamboo stick as an 
axis the cairn was built on a circular base with 
a radius of */s to 1 metre; the height of the cairn 
was generally about 2m. At the stations III, IV, 
IX and XI, which were comprised in the base 
network, particular care was taken to adjust the 
bamboo stick vertically, and in order to provide 
a sharp sighting point a cylindrical tin was 
placed on the bamboo stick above the cairn (Fig. 25). 
The rest of the reconnoitring work with the adjunct building of 
cairns — that is in the case of the first twelve stations with the 
exception of Station X — was performed on a motorboat trip during 
the early part of September. As in the course of this trip it proved 
difficult, from the more remote stations, to point some of the low- 
lying cairns in the neighbourhood of the base, because they merged 
into the background, these cairns were covered with white linen. 
(For the purpose we had brought 60 m° of linen). 
