298 NEW LAND. 



to take specimens of the rock here, for it was so friable that it 

 could almost be pulled to pieces with the fingers. 



They followed the coast-line, and on May 20 saw land in the 

 east. Then they steered north-east, as they could see no land in 

 the south, and therefore assumed that they were in a sound. This 

 proved to be correct, and later it was named ' Hassels Sund.' 



On May 24 they reached the northern point of 'Amund 

 Ringnes's Land.' This land was even lower than ' Ellef Eingnes's 

 Land ; ' only in the southern portion was there a high part 

 ' Meheia.' The entire conformation was very much rounded, and 

 therefore, unfortunately, covered with snow. 



They then shaped the course for ' Skjsertorsdagskap ' (Maundy 

 Thursday Cape), and steered on it for three whole days, reaching 

 it at last after a journey of sixty-seven miles since it had first 

 been in view. They saw an iceberg now and then on the way, 

 but closer inshore the south-east wind had probably kept open a 

 channel, for they found long stretches of autumn ice there. 



At De To Kratere they saw six polar oxen, which were 

 peacefully pasturing in some rather deep snow, and on May 29 

 were again at Cape South- West, where they found everything as 

 when they had left it. 



On May 31 they took a line for the west side of Graham 

 Island. With the exception of the latter and Buckingham Island 

 none of the other islands marked by Belcher in these waters were 

 discovered. Considering how many sledging expeditions from the 

 ' Frarn. ' drove in these tracts, even before Isachsen and Hassel's 

 journey in 1901, we must long before have discovered these 

 islands did they really exist. It is possible that what Belcher 

 saw were icebergs, for at a distance and in thick weather they 

 are not easily distinguishable from islands. 



In the strait near Graham Island they saw fresh tracks of 

 reindeer, and at Nordstrand, which they reached on June 5, met 

 with their first flock of geese of the year. 



As they were nearing the ship in the evening, a violent west 

 wind sprang up, with such drift that they had not the slightest 

 idea where they were going. They could not drive on till the 

 following day, and arrived on board about midnight. 



