64 G. Amdiiup. 



irritating manner every time we ran against them, returning into tlie 

 way again. The weather cleared up and at 9 we were out of the pinch. 

 Land began to show itself. We continued in slack ice at 3 miles speed 

 until 12 along the south side of the same large ice-field. Friis came 

 up and took an excellent sketch of the land ahead, which Trolle 

 and I, who had been up in the crow's nest the Avhole forenoon, were 

 convinced was the same as we had seen on August 7th — Hth .... 



Great excitement and good spirits ! All up — none thought of 

 sleeping. Maintop and cross-trees and crow's nest all full. Bertelsen 

 made a sketch, when the land at 3 p. m. again appeared clearly and 

 again nearer. More of the coast now showed behind Koldewey Islands 

 and to the south. High, snow-covered hills, whilst the Koldewey 

 Islands were nearly bare of snow. At 5 p. m. the fog descended again 

 and lasted till 7.30. Then it again cleared off and at 8 p. m. we were 

 about 4 miles from land, when the way was blocked by a continuous 

 field with large screw-hummocks, which seemed to stretcli right into 

 land, though possibly there was a passage along the land for a boat. 

 The choice lay between Shannon Island, whose 3 tops were seen in 

 the south, and Cape Bismarck, which appeared running out low in 

 a northerly direction to the east of the northernmost Koldewey Island, 

 now in line with the southernmost and Maroussia Island. As there 

 was always the possibility of finding a way southward, even if two 

 or three days were spent in the north ^vithout any harbour being found 

 there — which we could not know — and as the south point of Kolde- 

 wey Island did not seem to offer any harbour (long and low as it is, 

 distinctly a lowland), I made up my mind to go northward. Trolle 

 expressed his willingness (and agreement) and Ring also. At 8 p. m., 

 therefore, we turned northwards but were first obliged to go north- 

 east to avoid a couple of long, intervening floes in west to east right 

 across our course. Our hull has had some powerful blows to-day — 

 for we now have speed on — but has come off excellently. Some of 

 the men would like to have made a landing over the ice but I was 

 against it. First northwards. Had a report drawn up for the first 

 cairn at the first landing, if the land there could not be used as har- 

 bour. — Truly a happy day, our best in the ice. No ice-free coastal 

 water, but scattered ice, thus passable. A beautiful land. The Green- 

 landers think it very beautiful . . . ". 



On August 13th the voyage was continued northwards along the 

 east side of Koldewy Island until 7 a. m., when the vessel had to be 

 moored to the land-ice owing to fog. At noon it cleared up and the 

 ice in towards land was now so scattered, that a course could be steered 

 due west until the lead showed 4 fathoms of water at a distance of 

 only some few hundred meters from land. Here the ship was brought 

 to at 3.15 p. m., whilst Mylius-Erichsen and the naturalists rowed 



