116 G. Amdrup. 



sledges were turned crossways, so that the dogs could not easily set 

 them in motion towards the bear. The result was as bad as (Miuld 

 be imagined. One team succeeded in setting their sledge in motion 

 and this stimulated the other teams to such an extent, that soon all 

 the sledges bore down on the bear at full speed, where the feast and 

 fighting at once began. As the dogs were still harnessed to the sledges, 

 there arose an indescribable confusion; traces and harness were ter- 

 ribly mixed up and a quantity of the harness was dyed with blood 

 and dirt. G. Thostrup's team nearly missed sharing the booty, as 

 the sledge on the way to the bear stuck fast in a fissure. Afraid that 

 his dogs would get nothing to eat, Thostkup ran u|i and slipped off 

 all the harness; he was probably the one that came off best and cheap- 

 est from the general scrimmage and confusion. 



April lOt/i. After a journey of 20 kilometers the party fell in 

 with a bear which was shot. As the dogs were not very hungry, it 

 was thought that quite a small watch would be sufficient to keep 

 them off during the cutting up process. At this moment, however, 

 another bear appeared and whilst attention was directed to the new- 

 comer for a short time, the dogs at once rushed down on the dead 

 bear and ate it up. 



The second bear, which was shot soon after, could be cut up in 

 peace. 



April 17th. As the party approached the east side of Hovgaards 

 Island, the screw-ice became exceedingly difficult to pass; lashings 

 and bindings burst, cross-trees and uprights broke in two, a sledge 

 runner split and the odometer was broken. At last there seemed to 

 be no progress. Mylius-Erichsen then called the sledge-drivers 

 together, divided them into groups of 2 and 2 and sent them out to 

 reconnoitre. Tobias, who had previt)usly been some distance behind 

 in the column, understood the reconnoitring in a peculiar, but for 

 him extremely characteristic manner. Whilst the others left their 

 sledges, he drove on at full speed, forced his way through a cleft in 

 a screw-ridge, traversed a couple of longitudinal and transverse hol- 

 lows and was soon out on good ice. When the others returned to 

 report, Tobias came and briefly said, that he had left his sledge on 

 the other side of the screw-hummocks. This put an end to discussion: 

 all simply followed in the tracks of Tobias. 



April IStfi. In spite of the good sledging they now had, it proved 

 impossible to reach the land under Mallemukfjæld on this day. Most 

 of the sledge driA'ers had suffered greatly in the joints of the feet and 

 knees, and the sledges were badly damaged; one of them had to be 

 left behind for a time. After 30 hours' marching Mylius-Erichsen 

 was obliged to tent on the ice a couple of kilometers from land under 

 the western end of Mallemukfjæld. 



April 19th. There was a strong snowdrift this day, which was 



