SHERARD OSBORNE FJORD 



Already it is now quite clear to us that the homeward 

 journey will require the last of our strength ; but we have no 

 choice, we must reach home and get away from these regions 

 where there is not game enough to make existence possible for 

 any length of time. 



Ajako and Bosun, immediately after their return from their 

 unsuccessful seal-hunting, went out to hunt hares ; after an ab- 

 sence of twelve hours they returned with five hares, having also 

 seen a largish flock of ermine, of which they brought one. In 

 order to save our ox-meat the dogs were fed on hares — a meal 

 which tastes well enough, but did not seem to satisfy them. In 

 the course of the day Koch and Hendrik returned from Dragon 

 Mountain. Koch was full of enthusiasm over the beautiful 

 view he had had, and over the excellent results his climb in the 

 mountains had yielded. 



Hunger and death stalked us from all sides, and we decided 

 to break up quickly. As it pays best to have the hunters dis- 

 tributed as well as possible, the journey was arranged so that 

 the expedition temporarily was divided into two parties. 

 Wulff, Koch, Hendrik, and Bosun were to follow the great 

 river which penetrates the country, and go so far in that they 

 would come out on the height of the point from which we were 

 to cross over to Daniel Bruun Glacier on Warming Land. 

 Harrigan, Ajako, and I were to drive the sledges to our meet- 

 ing-place. 



During camp-breaking we were all in high spirits. ^Ve did 

 not offer much thought to the fact that now we unavoidably 

 had to tighten our belts ; it was far more important to us that 

 we had at last found a way homeward, and that our stay up 

 here was completed with good results. Before we parted we 

 had a merry shooting competition with a revolver, which must 

 be left behind, as we had to reduce weight so as not to drag on 

 unnecessary burdens. During this competition Hendrik re- 

 presented, as usual, good spirits and transmitted, with all his 

 amusing fooleries, his happy mood to us. Immediately before we 

 each went our way, something happened which at the moment 

 seemed of no consequence, but which later was destined to 



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