110 NEW LAND. 



east, following the flat grooves between the pressure-ridges, which 

 ran in a northerly direction. He also took every favourable 

 opportunity of crossing the ridges towards the east. 



' This was not quite in accordance with the route which I had 

 planned, as I knew that the ice was good up towards Bache 

 Peninsula, a little farther west. I explained this to Kolotengva 

 as well as I could, and apparently he understood very well 

 what I meant, for he pointed east and west, continually 

 saying, "Piuk, piuk." At the same time, however, he made us 

 understand that outside (i.e. eastward) there was an Eskimo 

 track leading north, straight to Peary's ship. I gave in to him, 

 therefore, and, judging from the view from an iceberg which I 

 climbed, the ice was not at all bad in a direction a little east 

 of north, well outside Cape Albert. At four in the afternoon, 

 meanwhile, the ice became so bad eastward and northward that 

 we were obliged to keep a little west of north until we were well 

 north of Cape Albert. I think we were about a couple of miles 

 from land. The sun was now shining on the highest tops only, so 

 I decided to camp for the night. 



' We learnt from Kolotengva an easy and practical manner of 

 making the dogs fast to the ice : he hacked small loops or rings 

 in it with his knife, and to these the traces were attached. 

 This method is also very practical for fastening the guy-ropes of 

 tents ; the loops are quickly hacked, and it is not at all difficult, 

 for the first time I tried it I was completely successful. 



'Our supper consisted of pea-sausage soup, and bread and 

 butter, the latter frozen hard ; and after supper we had coffee 

 and a bit of currant cake, which the steward had stowed away in 

 our provision box. It was truly remarkable to see what our 

 friend Kolotengva could put away, especially of drinkables four 

 large cups of soup (one of these cups, according to careful measure- 

 ment, contains a pint), two large cups of coffee, and after that he 

 set to work on his own account, melted ice in his cup, and drank 

 the water. How much he managed to imbibe I cannot say, but 

 when it is known that he had been eating ice all day I can 

 safely say as much as any dog I think others besides myself 

 would have been astonished. Nor was Hassel out of the 



