124 G. Amdrup. 



Erichsen disappeared in the uneven serew-ice In the wcsl. whilst 

 Koch drove out over the sea. 



3b. Journey of the 2ncl party to Peary Land'. 



May 1st. Tents were raised on the screw-ice at 11.30 in the 

 evening. 



May 2nd. On making an observation at 5 a. in. Koch saw land 

 to the iinrlh by east and took a bearing of it. At the same time he 

 saw the vapour of open water almost in the same direction. It was 

 resolved to try and advance in the direction of the land and the open 

 water, where they might expect to find game. 



Departure at 3 p. m. The screw-ice soon proved to be so diffi- 

 cult, that Koch on the advice of Tobias gave up further advance 

 in the direction north by east. The sledges could not .stand the blows 

 and thumps in the quite fresh and sharp screw-ice, and the land had 

 disappeared; it was not seen at all beyond that once and has probably 

 been "cape-fly-away" (in the observation journal is added: "wind 

 — 0; refraction anomalies — 2; horizon — in all directions"). The 

 course was then set along the border of the screw-ice in the direction 

 west by north. The way ran along narrow snow-bridges over several 

 broad gaps with open water: one of Bertelsen's dogs fell in but was 

 saved. The tent was raised at 11.30 p. m. 



May 3rd. Departure at 3.45 p. m. The dogs wore very tired; 

 it was hardly possible to get them forward through the loose snnw 

 or over the hummocks of screw-ice. 



May 4th. Raised the tent at 1.15 a. m. Departure at 6 p. m. 

 The screw-ice was specially unpleasant this day. As all directions 

 seemed equally broken, the course was set north-west. At the end 

 of the march, however, the ice became good; but the dogs had quite 

 lost their strength and could get up no speed. During a strong mirage 

 land appeared in the south-west, apparently not far away. Possibly 

 it was Princess Thyra Island or an island north-east of this; but Koch 

 could not venture on a closer investigation, as it would obviously 

 prove a very difficult matter to reach Peary Land. 



May 5th. Pitched the tent at 3.30 a. m. 



At the tenting place one of Tobi.\s' dogs was worried and partly 

 eaten by the other dogs. 



Departure at 9.15 p. m. The march began with an hour-long 

 passage over an unpleasant screw-ridge. Two sledges were damaged 

 and the fork of the odometer was broken. Later, the going improved 

 and on the last half of the march it was good. Fresh dogs could here 

 have travelled 10 kilometers per hour with the light sledges. Now 



* Captain Koch has kindly given me an account of his journey and 1 repro- 

 duce it here practically as written by him. 



