SVERDRUP'S EXPEDITION (1900) 249 



plums, raisins, nectarines, egg-powder, groats, potatoes, 

 meat-fat, pemmican, golden syrup, and fish-flour. The 

 dietary allowed each man per day weighed 2i lb. The 

 loads amounted to over 670 lb. each. 



At Bjorneborg the provisions for the different parties 

 were weighed and arranged, and then a start was made 

 westward. The first fiord west of Bjorneborg was named 

 Gaasefiord, from the number of geese found in it. When 

 crossing the second fiord, three walruses were shot, and 

 after feeding the dogs well, the remainder was left as a 

 depot of dog-food. This fiord was named " Hvalrosfiord," 

 or " Walrus Fiord." Next day they reached a sound where 

 huge masses of ice were grinding round in a tearing current. 

 Sverdrup had never seen waters so absolutely impossible 

 to navigate as he saw here. The difficulties which had to 

 be overcome before it could be passed were so great that 

 it received the name of " Helvedesporten," or " Hell Gate." 

 On one occasion three men, eighteen dogs, and three 

 sledges with their loads fell into a hole in the snow 

 12 feet deep, but by great good fortune no serious damage 

 was done. On another occasion one of the sledges slipped 

 over a wall of ice into the sea. The dogs would have 

 been carried with it, but the traces broke. One of the 

 men, with a rope round his waist, had to be lowered down, 

 and the load and sledge were ultimately hauled up. 



The land at last began to trend to the north-east, and 

 the point was named " Land's End." The whole of the 

 west coast of Ellesmere Land was subsequently called 

 " King Oscar Land." Next day a high mountain crag 

 appeared above the horizon away to the north. It was 

 named " Store Bjornekap," or " Great Bear Cape." Still 

 farther to the north another cape appeared, and was 

 named " Little Bjornekap," or " Little Bear Cape." Near 

 here a bear was shot, and served as a good feed for the 

 dogs. 



