GREENLAND BY THE POLAR SEA 



should elapse and you then meet with people, it is probable 

 that only oatmeal gruel and port wine can save me.' 



4i He then enquired how long I myself thought I could last. 

 I replied that without hunting I supposed I had the strength to 

 walk for yet another day, whilst the Eskimos probably could 

 keep up for a couple of days. 



" By now we had remained with Wulff for a good couple of 

 hours, and as the Eskimos were impatient to continue the in- 

 terrupted hunting I made ready to break up. Although the 

 situation in itself was a sad one, I did not at the moment feel 

 very touched at the departure : I myself was too weak, and I 

 had a feeling of walking to meet my own death. 



' ' Wulff remained quiet as we went ; his last words to us 

 were : ' Well, I will finally wish for you personally that you 

 may reach your goal. When you meet difficulties, remember 

 that now it is you that must save our results. May good fortune 

 follow you. And now farewell ! ' 



" Again the fog had rolled up, and it all appeared to me so 

 enormously depressing, as we had great difficulty in finding our 

 way. Three hours later the weather cleared up somewhat, and 

 we obtained a view towards the coast. The land inshore was al- 

 most bare of snow, and we set our course towards it. About mid- 

 night we went to rest, wet and cold after wading across a river. 

 In my diary I wrote that on the following day I should prob- 

 ably be able to reach Cape Scott without food, but that would 

 be the finish of me ; but here at least my diary would have a 

 chance of being found. 



' It was then too cold to sleep, and not until the morning 

 of the next day were we able to get a couple of hours. By then 

 there was clear sunshine and for the first time we had a view 

 across the land. We found that we were by the middle one of 

 the three little fjords which run inland between Cape Scott and 

 Cape Agassiz. Cape Scott, where my followers during the 

 spring had shot three hares and noticed tracks of reindeer, was 

 also plainly visible. So we decided at once to set our course 

 right for Cape Scott. I was now very weak ; all the various 

 sensations of hunger I had experienced on the inland-ice 

 268 



