40 NEW LAND. 



at the same time, we hoped to make personal acquaintance with 

 the polar ox. 



On Wednesday, September 14, at half-past four in the morn- 

 ing, we turned out to prepare for our first trip across the ' inland 

 ice ' of Ellesmere Land. We took with us provisions for a week, 

 and two teams, each of six dogs. 



The first part of the journey we found extremely heavy ; the 

 way was steep and the snow loose, and it was very hard work for 

 the dogs ; but, in the end, we reached the top of a mountain-ridge 

 which was some 3000 feet in height. To our great astonish- 

 ment, we then saw that the mountain sloped straight down from 

 the neighbouring edge to something flat and shining below, which 

 at first, as we only saw a part of it, we took to be a lake ; we had 

 no idea then that we should come down on to Leffert Glacier. 

 The descent was exceedingly difficult. The dogs pulled as if they 

 were mad, and set off down the steep slope at such a pace that 

 we quite expected them to do for themselves and for us too. 



The glacier ran almost due west, and, like most glaciers, its 

 surface was very uneven, but it was free from crevasses. We pro- 

 ceeded along it, and at first our advance was not so very difficult ; 

 but, later on, our work became harder, as the snow was loose, and 

 the going consequently heavy. 



We camped the first evening under a steep crag on the north 

 side of the glacier. Tent-life was something quite new to Isachsen 

 and Fosheirn, and they were very keen to experience it. We set to 

 work at once to light our ' Primus ' and cook ourselves some food. 

 We decided on pemmican lobscouse for supper, but there were many 

 cooks and the mess got burnt, and burnt pemmican is about the 

 most terrible thing it is possible to consume. However, we had 

 done a good day's march, and had excellent appetites, and some- 

 how or other the food slipped down. The others were loud in 

 their praises of the burnt pemmican, so it was impossible for me 

 to be the first to complain. 



We had a thoroughly cosy evening, though there is always 

 something strange about the first one. Eventually we crept into 

 our sleeping-bag, but on no account would Fosheim keep his head 

 inside ; he said he felt as if he was being suffocated, and thrust it 



