1875 KANGITOK. 35 



two miles, and then widened into a large ice-encum- 

 bered inland sea. To seaward all but the base of the 

 nearest islands was enshrouded in dense fog, but in 

 the direction of the ice-clad mainland of Greenland 

 the atmosphere was singularly clear, and all objects 

 remarkably distinct ; although in consequence of the 

 light reflected from the mer de glace, the sky-line was 

 ill defined. On the slightly inclined ice-cap, numerous 

 rounded elevations, conspicuously scored with crevasses, 

 denoted the undulations of the buried land below. 

 The coast glaciers were unfortunately hidden from our 

 view by the outlying rocky islets, and these again 

 were fronted by innumerable icebergs so completely 

 reflected in the calm sea as to render it difficult to dis- 

 tinguish the intermediate water-channels. The whole 

 scene was brilliantly lighted by an unclouded midnight 

 sun. 



Our Eskimo pilot, who promised to guide us safely 

 past Kangitok, joined us very willingly at Upernivik, 

 his kayak being lifted on board ; but as the distance 

 from his home increased he became very uneasy, and 

 had I not forcibly detained his means of conveyance 

 he would certainly have broken his share of the bar- 

 gain, and left us when amongst a bewildering group 

 of islands during a thick fog. However, after being 

 convinced that might was on our side, he became suffi- 

 ciently reconciled to his fate to be useful, but never 

 regained complete confidence. So long as we headed 

 inshore we experienced clear weather, but whenever 

 we tried to proceed seaward we met the fog. Arriving 

 near Kangitok, the outlying island of the group, we were 

 forced to wait for the fog to clear, it being occasionally 



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