Report on the Danmark expedition to the north-east coast. 157 



breathing holes and a number of bear-tracks were seen and on one 

 of the islands they observed quite fresh tracks of musk-oxen. 



On May 26th the tent was pitched on the western side of Teufel- 

 cape Island. 



On May 28th in the evening they reached the depot on the island 

 off Cape Peschel. But the depot had been broken up by bears and 

 everything was consumed and destroyed. Even the jar with petro- 

 leum had been so battered that it was leaky and all the oil had run out. 



On May 29th in the morning they steered over towards the depot 

 on the western side of Store Koldewey Island. 



On May 30th in the morning, aften dragging the sledge contin- 

 uously for about 20 hours, they reached the west side of the island, 

 but the travellers were now so exhausted that they slept some 20 

 hours on end before they began to look for the depot. A bear had 

 also been here, but had only succeeded in getting one of its fangs 

 through the tin box. 



Jarner found an excellent passage (Trækpasset) across the is- 

 land; they had only to carry the sledge load for a short distance and 

 then drove across a long lake and through a small river-bed which 

 led them out on to the sea-ice on the eastern side of the island. 



On June 2nd the tent was raised on the eastern side of Store Kolde- 

 wey Island. The same day at noon the brooks began to flow. Here 

 a bear was shot and deposited on the shore. 



On June 6th they started on the return journey. The melted 

 ice water began to flow out over the ice. They often had fog, which 

 was at times so dense that they had to lie still. On June 10th they 

 had to ride out a snow-storm. With the advance of the month the pro- 

 gress became more difficult. Near Lille Koldewey Island the sledg- 

 ing was sometimes so bad, that the men sank waistdeep in the loose 

 snow under which was water nearly up to the knees. 



On June 20th they reached the ship after a successful journey 

 from a geological point of view. 



Those onboard had begun to be uneasy about Jarner's party 

 and on June 18th Hendrik Olsen and G. Thostrup started along 

 the eastern side of the Koldewey Islands in order to meet and if pos- 

 sible help them. However, the parties did not meet. On June 22nd 

 Hendrik Olsen and G. Thostrup returned. 



On May 31st G. Thostrup and Wegener returned from the 

 journey north (see p. 143). The news they brought was not encour- 

 aging. The coast continued tending N.E. instead of N.W. as had 

 been expected. When G. Thostrup and Wegener left them, the 

 1st and 2nd party had only provisions left for 3 weeks. It looked 

 as if the glorious aim of the expedition was not going to be fulfilled. 



