CHAPTER XI. 



ACROSS ELLESMERE LAND. THE STRATEGIC DEFENCES OF THE 



TOLAR OX. 



THE whole of the winter I had been thinking of making an 

 attempt to cross Ellesmere Land to the west coast, and I now 

 determined to make a start from the head of Nordfjord, for it 

 was there that I had received the impression in the autumn 

 that a crossing might be made. I had noticed that a valley 

 trended at an even gradient in a westerly direction, and I 

 concluded that, given enough snow, it would be possible thence 

 to reach the other side. I limited the expedition to four men : 

 Isachsen, Stolz, Bay, and myself. The mate and Hassel were 

 to accompany us as far as Fort Juliana, as the condition of 

 the ice made progress rather difficult in the outer part of Hayes 

 Sound. 



We left the ship on April 17, but the going was so heavy that 

 we took two days to reach Fort Juliana. Stolz, who had been 

 careless enough not to use spectacles on the way, became snow- 

 blind, and had to be left behind at the station. Hassel took 

 his place, and his dogs came with us as a loose team.* The mate 

 also was still with us. 



On Thursday, April 20, at five o'clock in the morning, we left 

 Fort Juliana. The ice was favourable, and we made such good 

 progress that we were able to camp in the evening on the sands 

 at the head of Nordfjord, after having covered a distance of 

 thirty-eight miles in one day, and with fairly heavy loads. 



Next morning we turned out early. Hassel and Isachsen 

 remained behind to take the meridian altitude, and forenoon and 



* A sledge without a driver. 

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