CHAPTER V. 
The topographic Survey. 
Mode of Execution. 
The fact that the expedition made such a long stay in one place 
quite naturally called forth the wish to undertake topographic surveys. 
In the immediate vicinity of the wintering place and in a few other 
localities, where scientific researches were made, the details of the 
landscape must come to play a part for us. Here there also arose a 
great number of names which served to localize and make clear. the 
observations made, which names, however, would only be of im- 
portance to the scientists themselves under the journalizing of their 
observations, but which could not so well be used in the subsequent 
preparation of the material, as long as there were no detailed maps 
of the localities in question. The fact that a closer acquaintance 
with the entrance past Kap Bismarck might possibly be of practical 
importance — which among other things led to TROLLE’s undertaking 
a marine survey of the entrance — also became a decisive factor in 
the settling of the question as to the making of topographical surveys. 
To be used in the topographical survey the expedition had bor- 
rowed from the Topographical Department of the General Staff, Copen- 
hagen, two universal diopters, two plane tables with appurtenances 
and four stadia. A detailed description of these instruments and 
their use under normal conditions will be found for instance in 
H. O. Ravn: Lærebog i Opmaaling, 2. Del, København, 1911. The 
method here mentioned, which in all essentials is the one used in 
Denmark and Iceland, however, requires ample time, a large number 
of assistants and, as far as the topographers are concerned, a training 
extending over several years. 
In the case ofthe Danmark-Ekspedition these requirements could 
of course not be complied with, and it therefore became necessary 
to modify the method in view of the special conditions. The most 
important alteration consisted in the fact that the measuring of the 
distance, generally performed by means of the stadium and the 
