168 G. Amdrup. 



At 10 o'clock in the evening the travellers at last reached Hagens 

 Island, quite wet with perspiration and both tired and hungry; they 

 had had no food for 15 hours whilst working very hard all the time. 



On October 13th they called a halt, which the men as well 

 as the dogs were badly in need of. . During a fortnight they had not 

 rested a day. 



October 14th. In spite of a snow-storm from the north they 

 started at 11 a. m. There was still much deep and loose snow. At 

 5 p. m. they raised the tents at Bj orneskærene. 



On October 15th the sledging conditions at last began to 

 improve. From 10 a. m. to ö p. in. they covered the way to the Cape 

 Amelie depot. 



On the 16th, 17th and 18th of October the sledging was fairly good, 

 but the dogs were л^егу exhausted and during the last days two of 

 them had to be carried on the sledges. On the 18th inst. at 2 p. m. 

 the party reached the ship after 27 days' absence. 



1st party's journey northwards and return. 



On October Sth tiie 1st party started further northwards, 

 while the 2nd ])arty began the return journey. To begin with they 

 had bad sledging and only advanced slowly. The ice was full of hard 

 knolls, the sharp edges of which cut the paws of the dogs, and be- 

 tween the knolls the snow had drifted together so that the men sank 

 waist-deep in it and the dogs could not draw the sledges. The party 

 only advanced 10 kilometers. At every halting place and on the tent- 

 place the snow became stained \vith blood from the cut paws of the 

 dogs. It was very depressing day after day to have the same bad 

 sledging conditions. Even the untiring Tobias was affected. 



October 9th. This day they followed the tidal screwings which 

 ran N.N.E.; here the sledging was better. Fresh tracks of bear were 

 found but unfortunately no bear appeared. It would have been of 

 the greatest use to get one, for the dogs were badly in want of a good 

 feed on fresh meat. In 6 hours the party covered 20 kilometers. 



On October 10th at 10 a. m. they started again. It was 

 blowing hard from the N.W. with mist and snow now and then. After 

 covering about 21 kilometers tents were pitched at 4 ji. m., the mist 

 and commencing darkness making it hardly possible Id distinguish 

 some 30 meters ahead. 



On October 11th they remained in tent owing to a hard 

 northern breeze with mist and snow. This halt was very good for 

 the dogs which were badly in need of rest. There was not a single 

 one without bad paws and all were л^егу slack, especially Tobias' 

 team. 



On October 12th at 10 a. m. they started again. The air 

 was thick and (lie snow was falling, so that they were obliged to use 



