GREENLAND BY THE POLAR SEA 



" Mosekone's "* brew over a Danish meadow. The many 

 rivers from the glacier and from the land have swept away the 

 ice along the coast, and for the first time we look across a stretch 

 of real, open water. It is dead calm, and only the drift of ice- 

 floes on the current gives some movement in this mighty land- 

 scape which the lifting fog gradually unveils for us. There is 

 an idyllic beauty over the many little lakes and islands, and the 

 low land down towards the bay ; and Ajako and I are agreed 

 that some time it would be good to winter here. Round the 

 head of Advance Bay ruins of old winter-houses are naturally 

 to be found. 



The ocean is full of seals, the bear begins his exciting wan- 

 dering as soon as the ice lies, and everywhere in the lakes there is 

 sure to be salmon. The reindeer stalk across the land and hares 

 seem to abound ; they jump up before us, running away in con- 

 fused haste behind the nearest mountain, not knowing that for 

 the time being we mean to do them no harm. As there seems 

 to be plenty of game here, we have decided not to hunt until 

 the evening meal, when the march of the day is finished. We 

 are yet so exhausted that even the lightest of burdens weighs 

 heavily on us. 



From a mountain-top we get a view across Humboldt's 

 Glacier; evenly and quite without crevasses it extends north- 

 ward. Only the many rivers we have had to pass break its sur- 

 face with deep furrows ; if one listens, one hears the enormous 

 boom from the watercourses. It is good to be on land now. 

 The glacier appears to be without movement, and only low, 

 little pieces of Sikussaq float in the bay, which is partly 

 frozen. 



By midnight we pass a big oblong lake with an unusually 

 powerful affluent river. We follow the river for some distance, 

 looking for a crossing ; but as it is everywhere frothy and with a 

 strong current, we decide to wade across it. I slide on a 

 slippery stone, fall and get soaked through. Not very comfort- 

 able for one who has to sleep in the open in the same wet clothes 



* Mosekone = " Bog-woman " — one of the many Danish fairies. — 

 Trans. 



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