158 G. Amdrup. 



.Meanwhile, the work al the station went on steadily and quietly. 

 Trolle continued his hydrograpliical investigations and Achton 

 Friis painted. The naturalists constantly made excursions and one 

 hunting expedition after another started from the ship; but generaUy 

 the result was л'егу poor. From the 24th May to the 6th June Trolle 

 arranged for an attempt to be made to bring back the motor-boat 

 and whale-boat, laid up near Cape Marie Valdemar in the autumn 

 of 1906. With great difficulties they succeeded in getting the boats 

 transported across the ice down to Syttenkilometernæsset. Here 

 they were left till later in the summer when G. Thostrup sailed the 

 whale-boat home, taking the motor-boat in tow. 



About the 1st of June the snow began to melt. The melting 

 water flowed out on the ice and where this was snow-free large lakes 

 were formed. Where the snow covered the ice, the water sank down 

 below the snow, thus forming quite an impassable slush. The time 

 was near when neither sledge nor boat could be used on the ice. 



In order to facilitate the work of the naturalists under these con- 

 ditions and to make it possible for them to extend their investiga- 

 tions in all directions, Trolle gradually had tents raised at various 

 places in the neigbourhood. The tents were permanent and contained 

 depots of provisions etc. etc. 



This work was carried out by Peter Hansen and Hendrik Olsen 

 who at the same time were hunting seals, now appearing on the ice. 



Thus, tents were raised at Syttenkilometernæsset, at the outer- 

 most point of Cape Bismarck, Maroussia, Storm Cape and at Hval- 

 rosodden. 



Meanwhile the days passed and neither the 1st nor the 2nd party 

 returned. The melting of the snow increased and the passage across 

 the ice became more and more difficult. On June 20th Jarner's 

 party returned from the journey to Dove Bay and Koldewey Islands 

 and reported the bad sledging they had had towards the end of their 

 journey. 



No wonder that the tension onboard increased. At last Keen, 

 Bertelsen and Tobias Gabrielsen returned on the 23rd of June 

 (see p. 135). They were exhausted and the dogs extremely emaciated, 

 but they were in good spirits. They had reached their goal and planted 

 the Dannebrog tin the point aimed at. 



But the best thing was that they brought news of Mylius- 

 Erichsen's party. They had been met on the journey home and 

 according to the arrangements made they would come hack to the 

 ship in a few days or at the vitmost a few weeks later than Koch's 

 party. 



But days passed and weeks passed and weeks became months 

 and still Mylius-Erichsen and his companions did not return. Mean- 

 while, the influence of the arctic summer with its constant sunlight 



