III. Narrative of the Danmark Expedition. 



See PI. II and the collection of charts in Meddelelser om (ironiand, Bd. XLVI'. 



(The present report does not give a topographical account of the land visited; 

 this will be given by Captain J. P. Koch in Bd. .XLVIl. 



A. Outward voyaged 



At last the day had come, towards which Mylius-Erichsen 

 had looked forward and laboured for many years, when at the head 

 of a great expedition he should sail away under the flag of the red- 

 white cross to reap honour for our old, beloved fatherland. In one 

 of his diaries he has given expression to the feelings, which animated 

 him on that warm, sunny day of summer, an expression of deep feeling 

 towards those nearest his heart, of gratitude to all who had helped 

 him and his fixed, unbending resolve, to do his utmost to solve the 

 great and splendid problem, which had been entrusted to him. Mylius- 

 Erichsen writes: 



"At last ! 

 We rise on the last morning, the day of departure, June 2-tth. Full 

 of the joyful consciousness that now the exacting days of preparation 

 were over, a deep perspective opens out into the future of deeds and 

 research, of great adventure. Manhood's work to be done! 



How Danish and summer-like the sun shone ! One seemed never 

 to have seen the roofs of the city so homely red or to Ьал^е felt his 

 country so near and dear. And yet, departure was to be a relief; for 

 those who stood nearest, each day's struggle towards the goal had 

 simply been an unspoken farewell. Outward bound and with a free 

 charter to make dreams a reality, one goes onboard the ship "Dan- 

 mark" to sail out and win a new piece of Denmark. At last ! 



Farewell, then, to town and land, to friends and family; farewell to 

 those who steadfastly believed in the plan and willingly aided us over 

 all the difficulties which separate dream and deed ! You have given 

 us trust, good counsel, the great indispensable means; we others have 

 given our young desires, all our powers, life even should it be neces- 

 sary. Farewell and thanks from the heart. May we prove ourselves 

 worthv of the trust and sacrifice !" 



' PI. II is only a sketch drawn from the large original charts given in Medd. 

 cm Grønl. XLVI No. 2. 



^ All directions refer to the true course. 



