II. Genesis of" the Danmark Expedition, 

 preparations and composition. 



As described in the foregoing pages, the whole of the east coast 

 of Greenland right from Cape Farvel (59°46' N. lat.) to Cape Bis- 

 marck (77°01' N. lat.) had been explored and charted by the begin- 

 ning of the 20th century. 



Further, the celebrated American, Arctic explorer R. E. Peary 

 had travelled right over the inland ice from the west to the east coast 

 on his expeditions in 1891 — ^92 and 1893 — ^95 and had reached Navj' 

 Cliflf (81°37' N. lat. and 34°05' W. long.) situated on the bay discov- 

 ered by him. Independence Bay, which cuts in from the east coast. 



Peary set the crown on his work, however, by his expedition 

 of 1898—1902, when he travelled by sledge from Fort Conger (81° 

 44' N. lat. and 64°45' W. long.) on Grinnell Land across Robeson 

 Channel and then up along the north-west and north coast of Green- 

 land over to Cape Clarence WyckofT (82°57'.7 N. lat., 23°09' W. long.) 

 on the north-east coast. At the same time he determined the north 

 point of Greenland, Cape Morris K. Jesup (83°39' N. lat., 33°30' W. 

 long.) 1. 



But the whole of the extensive coast line from Cape Bismarck 

 to the points reached by Pe.\ry, Navy Cliff and Cape Clarence Wyc- 

 koff, was still quite unknown. It was only known, that in 1670 

 land had been seen at ca. 7819° N. lat. by a Dutch whaler, by name 

 Lambert -. 



In 1905 our knowledge of this coast was somewhat increased, 

 when Duke Philippe of Orleans with his vessel the '"Belgica" suc- 

 ceeded in penetrating up along the edge of the fast land ice to 78" 

 16' N. lat. and in landing on an island at 77°36' N. lat. The Duke 

 took a rough sketch of the land north of Cape Bismarck and deter- 

 mined the main direction of the coast up to ca. 78°30'. Further, 

 some islands were observed by the Duke ^. 



But, though the splendid pioneer work of the Duke is worthy 

 of all praise, it did not appreciably lighten the work of the expedi- 

 tion which made the exploration of tlie coast its aim and object, a 



^ See pp. 33—35. 



» See p. 16. 



' See pp. 32—33. 



