Report on the Danmark expedition to tlie north-east coast. 59 



Such were the feehngs of Mylius-Erichsex, when at 11 in the 

 forenoon of St. John's day, Sunday June 24th 1906, the 'Danmark" 

 cast off from Nordre Toldbod, where numerous friends and acquain- 

 tances had gathered together to wave the last farewell to the members 

 of the Expedition. On the bridge stood Mylius-Erichsen and waved 

 his hat, whilst the heavily-loaded ship, surrounded by motor boats 

 and pleasure cutters slowly glided out of the harbour and out into 

 the Sound, where it swung to have the compasses set. 



On the way north in the Sound the Danmark met the warship 

 "Olfert Fischer", whose crew with their Commander, the Arctic ex- 

 plorer Hovgaard, at the head gave three ringing cheers for the sea- 

 farers. 



Thereafter, exchanging a salute with Kronborg the Danmark 

 stood out of the Sound into the Kattegat and in the two following 

 days the portion of the crew not accustomed to the sea had the op- 

 portunity of learning their respective duties on the ship. As the aim 

 had been to take as many scientifically trained men as possible, in 

 addition to the two artists, the number of seamen was consequently 

 reduced to a minimum and all the others had bound themselves to 

 do ship's service on the voyage out and home. 



As will be seen from the list of the members there were only 11 

 men onboard, who were connected with the sea by calhng, namely 

 the master, the 3 mates, ice-pilot, the 2 engineers, steward and the 

 3 sailors. Among the 11 naturalists (including the artists), however, 

 there were several who were used to the sea and a few, for example 

 Koch, were more or less seamen. But the three who acted as stokers had 

 had no training in the work, one of them, as mentioned, was in fact a 

 student of medicine. But it is the will that does the work, and as the 

 \\ill was not wanting, all went well on the whole. 



On Tuesday June 2eth at 11.30 p. m. the Danmark moored in 

 Frederikshavn harbour. In the fresh wind of the Kattegat the foretop- 

 gallantyard and fore boom had been cracked and a few other, smaller 

 damages had occurred. 



In the days following the damages were repaired and most of 

 the cargo was restowed, a work that was carried out exclusively by 

 the members of the Expedition. In his report on the matter to the 

 Committee Mylius-Erichsen writes: 



"I cannot finish my report without mentioning, that all the mem- 

 bers with great diligence and interest and with great good-will have 

 carried out the considerable work onboard in these days without out- 

 side help. All has gone well and quickly. The work has been a good 

 training for the voyage in front of us". 



On Monday July 2nd all was clear for the departure and at 1.30 

 p. m. the Danmark cast loose and stood out of the harbour. 



On July öth almost at midday the Naze was passed and on Monday 



