CHAPTER VIII 

 DE LONG FJORD TO CAPE SALOR 



AT THE GOAL 



THE result of the previous day's reconnoitrings was that, 

 from the high mountains situated 10 kilometres in along 

 the fjord, one might expect to get a view of all the ter- 

 ritory which we had yet to map. The Island we named Hanne 

 Island, whilst the mountain which was to be the base for the 

 last observations was called Thule Mountain. 



Without any greater difficulty we covered the distance to 

 Thule Mountain on good ice, and Koch and Ajako ascended the 

 mountain at nine o'clock in the morning. There was a gale 

 blowing, and during the day we observed many and increasing 

 -Fd/in-clouds which, like huge dragons, drifted across the sky. 

 At two o'clock Ajako returned with the following letter 



from Koch : 



"Thule Mountain, 



"21. 6. 1917. 



" Ajako and I arrived at the top here, which is 780 metres 

 high, sufficiently early for a noon observation. De Long Fjord 

 is large, and rich in surprises. Let me start at Cape Mohn. 

 To the south of this, a fjord inward due west, with a sound to 

 the Polar Sea and valley across to the sound south of Hanne 

 Island, so that I see water in front of Cape Ramsay Island. 

 Then a fjord due south-west with valley possibly to Mascart 

 Inlet. Further, fjord due south with inlet ice as background. 

 Further, a broad fjord, some thirty kilometres long, due south- 

 east, from which two valleys due east, whereof the northern- 

 most cuts far into the country. There is probably a lake in the 

 direction of Frederick Hyde Fjord. Due north from here 

 Wild Fjord lies as a panorama. The two large new fjords can 

 be taken with a vertical base. Strong and cold wind will unfor- 

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