THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY 



to the finding of a road, is now sent out to reconnoitre. He 

 has an uncommonly independent nature, makes his dispositions 

 wisely and with a sure instinct for doing just the right thing. 

 He succeeds also in solving this fateful problem as after a run 

 of a couple of hours on skis he finds a place which later on proves 

 to be the only way down on the whole extent of the cleft. This 

 result, so significant for us in our present position, was some- 

 thing in the way of a pathfinding miracle, which saved us from 

 turning back to the fjord, where we should have been reduced 

 to living on small, lean sea-scorpions and rattlewort. 



It was obviously not with enthusiasm that we, from the 

 sorely-gained height of 1,300 to 1,400 metres, drove down into 

 a wild and desolate mountain cauldron, where once more we 

 had to start from the beginning, bearing upwards on some 

 snow-bare mountains where driving is impossible. But the 

 thought of the return journey instantly revived our spirits ; we 

 could at last see quite plainly the main glacier ahead, which was 

 to be our road home. 



CAMP 4.— THE DEVIL'S CLEFT 



August 7th. — The distance was only 3 kilometres, but, as 

 everyone knows, one cannot measure work according to the 

 distance covered ; the transport was difficult and of long dura- 

 tion. We found a camping-ground on the other side of the 

 cauldron, and a sledge was sent out with a double team to 

 reconnoitre and to freight part of the baggage along. 



In spite of the obstacles of the land, it did not seem too 

 difficult to pass. Partly across firns, partly across snowdrifts, 

 to-day we got out of the cauldron. Later on we reached a 

 mountain where we ourselves in several journeys had to carry 

 the baggage across to another firn on the north-east side of the 

 cauldron, and here we stayed for the time being to await the 

 result of the two men's reconnoitring. 



The sun is shining and we have the mildest of summer 

 weather with a temperature of upwards of 4° (Cent.). It is as 

 if, after an evil dream, one approaches a new day with the gle;un- 



213 



