GREENLAND BY THE POLAR SEA 



in getting a clear view of the route, but the mere fact that we 

 are now so far in that our return to St. George Fjord is improb- 

 able is a great stimulant. Yesterday we lost sight of the dead 

 fjord ; in spite of all its beauty we parted from it without sad- 

 ness. The sea-ice, with its thousands of greater and smaller 

 water-holes, looks from the glacier like a large mosaic, until the 

 distance becomes so great that it all disappears as a small bluish 

 lake. 



The land behind St. George Fjord extends very far. Ahead 

 of us the route which we must follow is unfortunately already 

 cut by the dark clouds, which always indicate land and not ice. 

 Possibly we may meet with more glacier bridges to make a 

 passage between the cleft-land on our north side and the large 

 new land to the south-west. If, however, we should happen to 

 meet with land, we must get across it with the baggage on our 

 backs. 



We are toiling in the heat ; the thermometer registers 

 between minus 2 3° and minus 4° (Cent.). 



CAMP 3.— THE MOUNTAIN CAULDRON 



(Distance, 13 kilometres). 



That which we have feared the whole time has now hap- 

 pened : Daniel Bruun Glacier is merely a local glacier — of great 

 extent, true enough, but nevertheless bordered by land on all 

 sides. 



In the afternoon, about four o'clock, we sighted land right 

 across our course. A quick reconnoitring convinced us that it 

 was the cleft which we had already had for a couple of days to 

 the north-east of us. At the point where, from the look-out 

 the other day, I had believed it to be filled with snow merging 

 into the inland-ice itself, it suddenly trends to the south-west, 

 uniting with the land behind St. George Fjord. The cleft, 

 which has a depth of between 600 and 700 metres above sea- 

 level, is everywhere edged by naked, steep mountains which 

 appear to debar any possibility of descent. Inukitsoq, who has 

 often proved himself in possession of a sure instinct with regard 

 212 



