100 G. Amdrup. 



the different parts of the equipment and marked the boxes etc. with 

 the number of the sledge party. Hagen looked after the ammuni- 

 tion and the naturalists gave advice to those, who were to form the 

 north-bound party regarding collections and observations; in short 

 there was activity in all directions. 



The dogs' rations were increased and they were used as little 

 as possible to bring them into the best condition before the journeys 

 northward began. 



On one of the few e.Kcursions at this time, tlie three Greenlanders 

 Jørgen Bronlund, Tobias Gabrielsen and Hendrik Olsen, came 

 near to losing their lives under circumstances that may be related. 



On January 21st they drove away from the ship at 11 a. m. Their 

 object was to reach the open water, which had been seen on the pre- 

 vious day east of Cape Bismarck. Where there was open water, there 

 was a possibility of finding bears and seals. They came fairly soon 

 to the open water, where they saw fresh tracks of bear. They fol- 

 loAved these some distance along the edge of old ice and then further 

 out over some few days' old ice, which extended outwards. They 

 left the dogs behind on the edge of the new ice and took only their 

 guns and "Tokejærn" '. The bear tracks were soon lost, however, 

 and when they turned to go back, they found, that the floe of new 

 ice had loosened and drifted some distance away from the old ice. 



It was a terrible discovery to make. The temperature was about 

 ■ — 30°, of food they had none and they were all thinly clad under 

 such circumstances. They had only imagined they would be away 

 about 3 to 4 hours. It was Tobias' birthday and the occasion was 

 to be celebrated onboard at dinner. 



But they did not long remain in perplexity. With the picks 

 they cut an ice-floe of about 60 feet square from the large floe. On 

 this they set out and using picks, guns, hands and feet as oars they 

 succeeded after 6 hours' incessant work in reaching the old ice. And 

 now they set out for the ship at full speed, reaching it at midnight, 

 ail much overcome with cold, water and excitement. 



There was great anxiety onboard about the 3 Greenlanders and 

 the pleasure was all the greater, therefore, when they returned. It 

 seemed terrible to imagine, that these capable, kindly souls, who 

 were so indispensable to the Expedition, might have been lost in this 

 tragic manner. 



On January 26th Hagen and Mylius-Erichsen made a sledge 

 tour out to the sea ice along the outer coast, Mylius-Erichsen wishing 

 to examine the ice there with a view to the sledge journey northward. 

 The same large opening, which had nearly been the grave of the Green- 



' The Greenlanders use the "Tokejærn" (a bar with iron point) to ascertain 

 the bearing power ot the ice, testing whether the picii will penetrate the ice on 

 the first, strong blow — or not. 



