Report on the Danmark expedition to the north-east coast. 17У 



From the 12th to the 13th of December Tobias Gabrielsen and 

 Weinschenck made an excursion to Cape Phihp Broke for the pur- 

 pose of finding and examining the depot there. They succeeded in 

 finding the depot which appeared to be in good order. 



The loth of December had been fixed for the departure but it was 

 blowing and snowing so much that the journey had to be postponed. 

 During the following days the departure was constanth' postponed 

 owing to wind, snow or mist. Christmas eve was spent at the depot 

 and not until 



December 26th at midnight did they start on the return journey. 

 Owing to the heavy loads and the bad sledging it was decided to 

 take the goods in two separate portions. 



Consequently, each sledge was loaded %vith 6 cases of dog bis- 

 cuit and the northward journey begun. The sledging was very bad, 

 deep, soft snow into which the dogs and men often sank. After 

 a few hours' extremely fatiguing drive a thick fog from the south 

 came on. As the tents had been left behind, the sledges were 

 unloaded and they drove back to fetch these and the remainder of 

 the stores. 



The return journey seemed to G. Thostrup one of the coldest 

 he had ever taken part in, and he was indeed one of the veterans of 

 the expedition in regard to sledge expeditions. 



It must have been very cold ^ indeed, for when they returned 

 to the depot it appeared that they were all more or less frost-bitten. 

 Of Tobias Gabrielsen, Charles Poulsen and Weinschenck it 

 was especially the nose and fingers that had suffered, while the 

 feet of Hendrik Olsen and G. Thostrup were so badly injured, that 

 at any rate the latter could not continue the return journey in such 

 a condition. 



To make the return journey as easy as possible (when once they 

 would be able to start), they determined to gradually forward all 

 the dog biscuit to Shannon Island, so as to be able, as soon as G. 

 Thostrup was well again, to drive homewards all together whenever 

 the weather allowed. 



On the 27th of December early in the morning, therefore, Tobias 

 Gabrielsen, Hendrik Olsen and Weinschenck made an attempt 

 to take the dog biscuit over to Shannon Island. But the snow was 

 so deep and soft that it was hardly possible to get on, even after they 

 had lightened the sledges of some of the cases and had proceeded 

 with the rest. In the evening they returned frightfully exhausted 

 and without having accomplished their object. There was nothing 

 to be done but wait for better sledging. 



' In Danmarks Havn the minimum temiierature during tliat day and iiighl 

 was — 34° С 



12* 



