GREENLAND BY THE POLAR SEA 



tunately impossible to let him have the daily ration which his 

 constitution seems to claim. 



Ajako has overstrained his eyes in the sharp light during the 

 longTmnt, and has again gone snow-blind. So, as soon as the 

 tent is raised, I leave my comrades and drive to the pool to 

 fetch Ajako's seals. It is beautiful and quiet weather, and the 

 warmth has again tempted a couple of seals to take a sun-bath. 

 One of them is, unfortunately, very shy and dives down long 

 before I get within range ; but I succeed in catching the other. 

 We are now on top again, for as we have so few dogs left, these 

 seals, with their profusion of blubber, will see us through for 

 some time. 



Our cup of joy is, as usual, not unmixed with bitterness, as 

 it appears that some serious illness is breaking out among the 

 dogs. The hind quarters of some of them are becoming 

 paralyzed. This may be a consequence of the cannibalist diet 

 with which they have too often to be satisfied. Dog-flesh 

 seems to contain some poison ; at any rate, the liver and 

 intestines contain something which does not agree with the 

 dogs, for after devouring it they frequently vomit, and during 

 the day they are limp and weak and have pronounced diarrhoea. 

 Two of them have already been killed, as we cannot hope for 

 a speedy recovery. 



Yet another matter is troubling us : We have great diffi- 

 culty in making the dogs eat sufficient food. The blubber, 

 which is so good for them and at which in the beginning they 

 rushed with such greediness, they will not touch at alb now. 

 This, however, has nothing to do with the disease, but is well- 

 known by everybody who on long journeys has had to starve his 

 dogs for periods. When at last one arrives at a place where 

 there is food in plenty, the dogs eat only a few good meals, and 

 after that they turn so finicky that they will only accept 

 solid meat. 



On the 11th of June Koch feels somewhat better, and im- 

 mediately goes out into I. P. Koch Fjord to complete the 

 cartographical work which he began. 



On the following day he is again tired and unwell, and as 

 134 



