GREENLAND BY THE POLAR SEA 



effluent rivers. The first of them is deep and the water reaches 

 above our knees. Another wetting, but what about it if only 

 we can get ahead. Straight forward, never give up ! 



On the southern side of the river we come to quite new 

 terrain which again rouses the hunter's instinct in both of us. 

 Here our course goes up and down again, through doughs and 

 valleys, across huge heaps of snow, wearying and heavy. But 

 the land is fertile ; we look across meadows along river-beds, 

 vigorous slopes of willow and heather, moss and grass and what- 

 ever else might tempt a reindeer. But in vain we stare our 

 eyes stiff. Nothing living anywhere ! 



We continue until ten o'clock in the evening, then we meet 

 with the river, which, contrary to all those we have passed so far, 

 runs towards the inland-ice. On its banks five young hares are 

 playing, and we shoot three. Once more a huge fire flares up 

 in the gloaming ; we will make blood soup from all the three 

 hares — that will give warmth for the night. Soon after mid- 

 night the fog as usual slinks up. It is one o'clock when we lie 

 down to rest after fifteen hours' walk without a stop. We feel 

 in our bodies that to-day we have had the food that we needed ; 

 for although the fog, as usual, grows thicker and thicker as dark- 

 ness comes and the snow once more begins to fall, we do not 

 feel the cold although we are lying on the bare ground. 



FOURTH DAY 



Another grey, depressing day, but our spirits are better 

 than ever as we set out at nine o'clock in the morning ; for the 

 first time since we left our comrades in Advance Bay we have 

 had a sound, long sleep. 



But now our footgear, which we have not been able to dry 

 since we left St. George Fjord, is getting into a very bad condi- 

 tion. The seams are bursting in consequence of the continual 

 wetting, and we have difficulties in keeping the kamiks on our 

 feet. Further, our sinew-thread is nearly used up, and we have 

 only one needle left. With all our hearts we hope for a day of 

 sunshine and for a reindeer, not only for the sake of the tallow 

 and the meat, but also in order to get sinews. 

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