GREENLAND BY THE POLAR SEA 



tained all day through in all the houses with feasts of delicious 

 Mattak. 



On the morning of the 5th we must once more cross the 

 inland-ice by the mountain Naujartalik, and we arrived across 

 a local glacier at Igdluluarssuit in the evening. Here lived 

 Sipsu, who had accompanied us on the outward journey to 

 Hall's Grave, and our reception was no less hearty when we 

 met old travelling companions. Clothes were made for our- 

 selves, musk-ox skin was prepared for sleeping-bags, and at 

 length clothes for Koch were ordered. 



A few days later I attempted to continue to the head of 

 Inglefield Gulf, intending from there to cross the inland-ice 

 towards Thule, but unfortunately I had to turn back because 

 the new ice would not carry me. By the camp itself there was 

 excellent autumn hunting on shiny ice, and our companions 

 from Etah quickly got their share of this, but it was important 

 for me to push forward so that Koch and Freuchen could go 

 north again before the days became too short, and by the 14th 

 I had started southward again with Harrigan. 



Our route lay behind Qana via Iterdlagssuaq across three 

 big lakes and a small glacier which led down to Kangerdluarsuk. 

 Strangely enough, far inland we here passed a river which ran 

 from the inland-ice out towards the middle sea, the water of 

 which was quite salt and undrinkable. 



Further in we passed between two glaciers, which meet 

 each other approximately by the point of descent to Kan- 

 gerdluarsuk. The cross-pressure of the glaciers has ploughed 

 up the stones of the ground so that from above it looks as if a 

 mighty stone-paved high road is running between the two 

 glaciers. Some way further down, where these have worked 

 closer towards each other, the pressed-up moraine, which con- 

 sists only of big stones, assumed the character of a ridge, broad 

 at the base but sharp towards the top, looking most phantastic. 



Outside the mouth of the little Kangerdluarsuk, however, 

 we met again with the open water which had stopped us the 

 last time, so I made a new decision, as under no circumstances 

 would I again return. I would attempt to go up across the 

 288 



