THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY 



the foot, and the result of all our five months' toil would have 

 been irredeemably lost. After twelve severe hours, during 

 which we zigzagged and often made great detours, we found 

 ourselves 20 kilometres away from our last camp, so that we 

 really ought to have been down on land if only through the day 

 we had been able to keep a straight course. On a dry elevation 

 we rested, intending to continue about an hour later ; but unfor- 

 tunately we found that Dr. Wulff could not go further on this 

 day. All through the day he had felt exhausted and looked ill, 

 but I had hoped that a few hours of rest and a little dog meat 

 would before long enable him to continue ; for we had only 

 three lean dogs left, and there was no knowing what obstacles 

 the rivers or the descent to land might confront us with. We 

 faced the situation openly and without attempt at camouflage. 

 When we struggled with the sledges we felt dizzy and weak in 

 the knees, and all sudden exertion made the blood retreat from 

 the brain. 



The fog has once more settled on the land which we must 

 cross, and for the moment we do not know where we are. All 

 through the day we have waded through water, and our feet 

 are cold and wet. Numerous little pools have formed on the 

 surface of the glacier, and the bottom of these consists of sharp, 

 painful grains of firn. It is a comfort that we now discover 

 everywhere quantities of "land-dust." A small sea-king 

 swims merrily on a frothing river from the inland-ice and seems 

 quite pleased with the slide it has found towards the sea. Fur- 

 ther, we have seen two ivory gulls. Once more we must kill a 

 dog and, without pitching our tent, as it is calm, mild weather, 

 we eat it with a good appetite. 



Eight o'clock in the morning. 



To ease the load, we threw away a few days ago all our 

 ground-skins, and now, so that we shall not lie on the bare 

 glacier, we spread out the tent and lie down on it. Through 

 the night a heavy fog has hidden all surroundings from us. It 

 still hangs about, and although we are unable to find our bear- 

 ings we must continue. A great frothing river is visible ahead 

 of us and, to begin with, we make for that. 



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