348 NEW LAND. 



' Land's End.' * Our quarters that night we subsequently named 

 ' Fjerde Leirplads,' or ' Fourth Camp.' 



While Schei and Peder were doing duty as cooks, I went a 

 stroll up on land to look for traces of big game, and after 

 following the bed of a river I climbed on to some high ground, 

 where I really found the tracks of polar oxen. _ They were, how- 

 ever, several days old, so that the prospects of getting a shot at 

 the animals did not seem very bright. From this spot I discovered 

 in a north-westerly direction two islands, which, however, did not 

 appear to be of any great size or height. Of the coast itself I 

 could not see more than two or three miles, the rest being hidden 

 from view by a point of land, but beyond this point it seemed 

 to trend even more to the east. 



Our spirits were high that evening, although we did not 

 exchange many words perhaps it was what is called ' quiet 

 happiness.' We had at last fought our passage through this 

 terrible sound, and a way was now open to us where we might 

 reasonably expect to make progress. It was our hope that we 

 should return from this expedition with good results. 



The further travelling plan, which we evolved up there, was 

 that Isachsen's party should follow the inner part of the coast 

 of Kong Oscars Land f (King Oscar Land), while mine kept 

 to a more westerly course. By so doing, we should have a 

 better opportunity of coming across new islands and land ; and 

 on our departure from the ship we had equipped ourselves with 

 this possibility in view. 



That night the dogs were very noisy, and we found it necessary 

 to tie up the bitches by themselves. At the time that the teams 

 were made up, a bitch, and sometimes two, were included in each 

 team. This arrangement, of course, has its disadvantages ; but it 

 is a measure which is absolutely necessary, as the presence of the 

 bitches spurs on the dogs to effort, and makes them fiery and 

 courageous. They all appear to be doing their utmost to please 

 the object of their affections, for they know that the fair sex has 



* So given by the author. 



t The whole of the west coast of Ellesmere Land we subsequently called 

 ' King Oscar Land.' 



