GREENLAND BY THE POLAR SEA 



his wintering. He was interested in everything connected 

 with the camp and the hunt, and with great perspicuity he 

 gave us a picture of the life he had led so that all his great and 

 small joys stood lifelike before us. 



As a rule the winter-ice lies untouched until the following 

 autumn. But the end of August or the beginning of 

 September — so late that a thin ice is already being formed — 

 the rivers melt round basin-like holes in the ice at their mouths, 

 and a fissure which during summer-time has formed off Cape 

 Russell widens out broadly. This is all the open sea they have. 



The inland tracts were prolific in hare and reindeer. 

 Tornge and three camp-fellows had killed no less than a hundred 

 during the autumn. They had moved far into the country to 

 some large lakes situated near the inland-ice, and here they 

 had camped in small stone huts during August and September. 

 These huts are primitive houses, having walls of stone and roofs 

 of hide. Women and children accompanied the men on these 

 expeditions, remaining by the huts while the men were hunting. 



The best hunting memories of Tornge's life were linked up 

 with his visit to the surroundings of Marshall Bay. The 

 wintering had one drawback only — it was difficult to find 

 sufficient food for the dogs, as the seals did not last out well. 

 One felt the lack of narwhal and walrus, which yield more 

 lasting food. 



Eiderducks and ice-gulls were to be found in all openings 

 of the ice, and on the lakes long-tailed ducks and loons. 



During a hunt for reindeer, salmon was found on the top 

 of Cape Russell at a height of about 300 metres. The lake was 

 not very large, but notwithstanding this many salmon were 

 caught, some of them as long as a man's arm. 



In the camp were found altogether eighteen ruins of houses, 

 with many tent-rings and meat-pits. Tornge's house was an 

 old ruin which had been repaired. In the wall we found the 

 remains of whale-ribs, and in the midden remains of whale, 

 walrus, bearded seal, seal, musk-ox, reindeer, fox, and hare. 

 Fishing-hooks made from the antlers of reindeer had also been 

 found. 

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