GREENLAND BY THE POLAR SEA 



to the inland-ice somewhere by the head of St. George Fjord. 

 A summering here might prepare for us the same fate as that 

 which overtook Mylius-Erichsen, for we must rely upon the 

 land-hunting, and, when the neighbourhood is exhausted of 

 game, it will be extremely difficult to reach fresh hunting- 

 grounds. We cannot reckon on catching seals to such an extent 

 that we could feed seven men and eighteen dogs for a period 

 until the going is better, which will hardly be until the begin- 

 ning of September. 



By continuing our journey now, unless misfortune overtakes 

 us, we are able to travel with three teams each consisting of six 

 dogs. At the moment we are all in full strength ; but nobody 

 knows in what condition we and our dogs may be after two 

 months of hunting life here. 



There is now the hope that we may find seals by Dragon 

 Point, whereas in September we shall find none. Our catch 

 during the summering would have to give such a surplus that, 

 beside our daily needs, we would also be able to provide for the 

 homeward journey ; all of which is very doubtful. 



Should we postpone the return journey, the difficulties we 

 meet with now would come back on us in another and far more 

 serious way. Later in the year there will be more snow on the 

 inland-ice, consequently our gear and provision will be so inade- 

 quate that we must take the route across Fort Conger and make 

 a temporary wintering there. That would complicate our dis- 

 positions to a far greater extent. 



Now in July and August there will be no unusually low 

 temperature on the inland-ice, we shall have the sun to dry our 

 clothes, and we shall be able to do without our sleeping-bags 

 and suchlike articles, which will considerably reduce our loads. 



Even if we should not find very good hunting by Dragon 

 Point, we can safely cross the inland-ice on the provisions which 

 at present we possess ; finally, at this time of the year we can 

 cut short our journey and go down on land near Humboldt's 

 Glacier, where hunting of reindeer and hare is good. Later on 

 in the autumn the darkness will deprive us of this chance for 

 hunting. 

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