HOMEWARD ! 441 



thick as a wall. To take observations was an impossibility, and 

 one cannot trust to the compass in these regions ; but once we had 

 got hold of Disco Island we were able to anchor in Godhavn, on 

 Sunday, August 17, at the same place as formerly. 



As soon as we had dropped anchor the Superintendent, Herr 

 Nielsen, came on board, accompanied by the pastor of Egedesminde, 

 who was then at Godhavn on an official visit. We were all eager- 

 ness to get our home letters, needless to say, and it was therefore a 

 most terrible disappointment when few of us received any. Schei, 

 Nodtvedt, and Olsen were the only Norwegians who had any 

 letters, and these were pretty well seasoned, for they were three 

 years old. Simmons and Bay, on the other hand, had fresh news 

 from home. It must not be thought that our friends and relations 

 had forgotten us altogether; many letters had come for us too, 

 but they had all been sent north to Upernivik, although Godhavn 

 was the only place in Greenland where we now had anything to 

 do, some coal still remaining to be taken on board there. 



When the Superintendent left the ship he was saluted by the 

 ' Fram's ' canons, Peder and Hassel being second lieutenants. 

 The salute was at once answered from the forts ashore. We were 

 invited to dinner by the Superintendent, after which the pastor 

 held a special service for us, and we ended up by visiting the 

 Inspector of North Greenland, or rather his wife, as the Inspector 

 himself was away on a journey. 



They were exceedingly pleasant days that we spent up there 

 among all these hospitable and helpful people. They did every- 

 thing in their power to make our first meeting with civilization 

 as agreeable as possible. We were frequent guests at the 

 Superintendent's house, and he kindly procured us workmen to 

 bring the coal on board, change the water in the boiler, and fill 

 our freshwater tanks. He also let us have a man as watchman. 

 The pastor took Bay, Simmons, and Schei on a shooting-expedition 

 up the fjord. They were away a day and a night, and were loud 

 in their praises of their host's hospitality. 



On the 19th we had a dinner on board for the Inspector's wife, 

 the Superintendent, and the pastor. We decorated our old vessel 

 as well and as festively as we could, but too much must not be 



