CHAPTER II. 



IN THE DRIFT-ICE OFF THE COAST OF GREENLAND. 



WE first became aware of the proximity of land on the afternoon 

 of Sunday, July 17, after a day's bad rolling, as the result of 

 a gale and high sea during the previous night. Far away in the 

 west, on the horizon, we observed a light shining in the sky, 

 sulphur-yellow in colour and visible under a dark bank of clouds. 

 It was the reflection of the ' Inland ice,' the so-called ice-blink ; 

 and deep below it lay Greenland with its ice desert and eternal 

 snows. 



Next morning, towards the end of middle watch, we could 

 with certainty discern land, and a few hours later a high mountain- 

 top rose out of the sea, while farther to the south was visible a 

 somewhat lower mountain-range, with glaciers, peaks, and valleys. 



This first sight of our promised land certainly made an 

 impression on the members of the expedition ; they all stood 

 gazing expectantly at the ice -blink, as I can imagine Leif Eriksson 

 and his men gazed long ago, when they caught the first glimpse of 

 the Vineland coast. 



It was not long before we discovered the presence of ice 

 shining in the distance, and soon we were in the midst of the 

 drift-ice, which the strong polar current carries southwards down 

 the east coast of Greenland. This was the sea-ice itself, which 

 appears in enormous masses, and covers the sea with a belt 

 extending several miles from the shore. 



Millions of small floes and hummocks came floating heavily 

 along; hundreds of icebergs were among them, and all were shaped 

 by the magic touch of frost and sea. Every colour imaginable was 

 playing on them as they passed in an endless confusion of fantastic 



