Report on the expedition. 139 
April 6th. It seemed as if the attack of cold during the month of March 
had left us still weaker than in February, as it was impossible for us 
to work at hauling the sledge for more than 6 hours a day; likewise 
we both felt excessively tired during the march and stiff and sore in all 
limbs, when we began in the morning. It was evident that we would 
be too weak to drag the boat, and also this project had to be given up 
as impossible. 
The condition of the ice was, from the beginning of the year, 
different from what it had been during the two former years, and 
we even saw a very broad lane of water, which extended along the east 
coast of Shannon Island and as far towards Koldewey Island as could 
be seen through glasses from the height of 300 metres. 
Large tracts of open water were seen in between the pack-ice, and 
the general impression was that of ice, which was easily navigable. 
The house in our winter-harbour was left again on April 13th, and 
we reached Cape Philip Broke on April 15th. Animals had broken into 
the house, and foxes had dragged books out through the window and 
left them scattered all over the snow. 
There was very much open water to the south of Cape Philip Broke, 
and no pack-ice could be seen from the height of 125 metres between 
Bass Rock and true ESE. The ice came however close to the east coast 
of Shannon Island, but seemed rather open. The water was covered 
with thin ice. 
We left Cape Philip Broke on April 17th, but we did not reach 
Bass Rock till April 24th, as we were detained in camp by a two days’ 
snowstorm. The temperature rose so much after the storm that the 
snow became wet and slushy, and it was necessary to resort to double 
banking in order to get all our outfit with us. This little sledge-trip, 
from Bass Rock to Shannon Island and back, was our last bit of sled- 
ging-work and the remainder of the time, until the arrival of the ship, 
was spent in the near vicinity of Bass Rock. 
The weather during the remaining part of our stay on Bass Rock 
was not like that of the two preceding summers. To begin with we 
got a warm spell with very fine weather during the latter part of April, 
when the temperature rose as high as — 2°6, and the snow on land 
melted so fast that water flowed and collected in rather large ponds, 
and the surface of the earth was quite soft, almost as it used to be during 
the latter part of July. These conditions, however, changed during the 
early days of May, when the weather once more became normal. 
The weather was exceedingly cloudy and foggy during the months 
of May, June and July, and quite clear weather was only recorded for 
one day in May and three in June. The sun was visible through clouds 
on a dozen days of each month, while the remainder of the days were 
entirely cloudy or foggy. July was, however, a little better. The pre- 
vailing winds had been decidedly northerly or easterly during the two 
