CAPE SALOR TO LOCK WOOD'S BEACON 



that I could only continue if those of my comrades, who neces- 

 sarily must accompany me, volunteered to make the attempt. 

 Once more I experienced the joy of seeing how serious they 

 considered the task which we had set out to accomplish. Koch 

 and Ajako immediately declared themselves willing to accom- 

 pany me, and as I, provided we should have to lose yet more 

 dogs, wished to have two men by each sledge, we strengthened 

 our party by Bosun, who was not afraid to return to the coast 

 where he had recently been starving. 



So we decided that Dr. Wulff with Harrigan and Hendrik 

 should make an attempt at getting their dogs down to the seals 

 of the whirlpool. Provided we did not meet with too great 

 difficulties, both parties might then meet in about a fortnight 

 at Cape Salor. Failing this, Dragon Point was decided on as 

 the place where we should all meet before the commencement 

 of the return journey. After this we parted. 



During the halt we had had high, sunny weather ; but now 

 our mortal enemy the fog once more sneaked in from the Polar 

 Sea, raw and cold, drifting across all the land which we were to 

 survey. We became suddenly miserable and desolate, not least 

 because of the prospects which, according to our comrades, we 

 must reckon on when we move eastward. It was hopeless to 

 continue the journey whilst the visibility was so poor, and we 

 made camp at ten o'clock in the evening between Cape Neu- 

 meyer and Cape Bennett. 



It seemed well worth while taking matters easy and rumin- 

 ating on the decisions which had to be made. Our position 

 was really a very serious one. Of provisions we had merely a 

 piece of seal meat and about a whole sealskin of blubber. Our 

 dogs would not be able to stand an immediate period of starva- 

 tion, neither could we reduce their number if they were to pull 

 the two sledges. 



As if to intensify our despondency, the barometer fell 

 incessantly and did not promise well for the weather we might 

 expect. Whilst the others were asleep, I sat thinking about 

 our position. 



Would it be possible to push along the path which had cost 



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