8 DALAGER'S JOURNEY IN 1751. 



this manner took up their march. The first half-mile was along 

 a brook-side, and was level and easy walking ; but they had now a 

 high and rugged rock to cross, and frequently fell down with 

 their boats on their heads. By sunset they had reached a large bay 

 on the other side, fourteen leagues in length, a hard day's pull for 

 an expert rower. In former times the Greenlanders could row into 

 this directly from the sea, but, owing to many of the fjords having 

 become filled up by glacier-mud and ice, this cannot be done now. 

 The next day they launched their kajaks, and rowed for 4 miles 

 straight acioss the bay to the north side. They then left their boats 

 covered with stones and pursued their journey on foot to the north- 

 east. Crossing a ridge of rocks, they came in the evening to firm 

 ice. Early on the morning of the 4th, they set out over it to the 

 nearest mountains of the Iceblink, at about 4 miles distant. " The 

 road was as level as the streets of Copenhagen." An hour after 

 sunset, they arrived at the top. The next day they occupied in 

 hunting reindeer, one of which they killed, and the raw flesh of 

 which fell to the Greenlanders ; for, as there was neither grass nor 

 brush to kindle a fire, Dalager was obliged to be satisfied with a 

 piece of bread and cheese. On the 5th they travelled about 4 miles 

 to the highest rock on the borders of the Iceblink, but were seven 

 hours on the road, as the ice was uneven and full of crevasses, which 

 obliged them to make frequent detours. About 11 o'clock they 

 came to the rock, and, after taking an hour's rest, began to ascend. 

 Towards 4 o'clock they gained the summit, spent with fatigue. 

 Hitherto they had only been travelling over the ground bordering 

 the great interior mer de glace, or over some defluent glaciers ; but 

 now an extensive prospect burst upon their view on all sides, 

 striking them with wonder, particularly when the vast fields of ice 

 were seen stretching across the country in the east coast, bounded 

 in the distance by mountains whose tops were covered with snow 

 like those on which they stood. At first these mountains seemed 

 only 6 or 7 leagues distant, but when they looked towards Godthaab 

 (lat. 64° 10' 36" N., long. 51° 45' 5" w.) and saw the mountains in 

 its vicinity appear equally large though at least 100 miles off, they 

 were obliged to enlarge their estimate. The adventurers remained 

 till evening on the mountain-side, then descending a short way they 

 lay down to rest ; but Dalager tells us that the activity of his 

 thoughts, aided by the cold, drove away sleep. On the morning of 

 the 6th they shot another reindeer close to their resting-place. All 

 scruples had now vanished, and, craving for something warm, 

 Dalager took a draught of its warm blood, which refreshed him 

 much, and joined the Greenlanders in a raw haunch of venison. 



