Report on the expedition. | 99 
“Danmark’s Fjord to the fjord at са. 79° №. Lat. ... Taking on the sledge 
“drift wood for 8 days’ cooking and over 300 Ibs. of meat, which is suf- 
“ficient food for ourselves for 16 days, and 8 days for the dogs. Will 
“follow the Fjord eastward the,ca. 144 miles out to the outer coast, and from 
“there with the help of the depots laid out there in the spring, and bear 
“hunting, we hope to be able to reach the ship safely in 5—6 weeks”. 
It will be seen from the above that they were well equipped, and 
they had no lack of fuel, since they left behind them by the cairn a piece 
of wood large enough to serve for four or five cooking fires. 
The first point on the homeward journey was Cape Kronborg, 
where they loaded up on the sledge everything that had been left at 
the depot there on the 25th of August. It is inconceiveable that anything 
should have been left behind, as the range of coast to which any such 
depot must necessarily be confined, is so short and narrow, and was, 
when we visited the place, so bare of show that nothing could have 
escaped attention, especially as the ground was examined three times 
over. 
On leaving Cape Kronborg the dogs must have been in good con- 
dition, since the party were able to draw the heavy loads which meat, 
fuel, personal and other effects would make, and they would doubtless 
make good going over the newly frozen ice. 
From Cape Kronborg they must have shaped their course for Prins 
Frederik Islands, and from there eastward again. Had they, at this point, 
been forced to abandon their project on account of thin ice or for other 
reasons, and decided to sledge down along the east coast of Danmark’s 
Fjord, they would most assuredly have built a cairn there, and left a 
report, as these low-lying islands would lie directly on the route of any 
search-party proceeding towards the western coast of the Danmark’s 
Fjord. They would thus have been able to consider it as certain that 
the search-party, which they continually expected would be sent from 
the ship, and which they knew must come up along the coast, would 
be at once set on the right track and not have to cross to the west coast 
of Danmark’s Fjord, where also they would find only misleading in- 
formation — viz: the reports left at the summer-place and on 81°25’ 
N. Lat. 
It may therefore be regarded as certain that MYLIUS-ERICHSEN, 
on leaving Prins Frederik Islands, turned his back on Danmark’s Fjord 
without any intention of returning. Moreover, the party must have 
been hopeful as to future progress, since they found no occasion to build 
a cairn and leave a message at such a conspicuous spot. 
We may still, however, follow them with certainty some distance 
further on their homeward journey. The party must have passed Prin- 
sesse Dagmar Peninsula, where Myrivs-EricHsEn had left a depot on 
the way up containing some 26 kg of dog-pemmican and the cooking- 
Q* 
