60 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



College ; Eugene Munvies, Vanderbilt College ; Holmes McClure, 

 Hill School ; Bob Schuette, Dartmouth College ; Leo Silverstein, 

 Dartmouth College ; Rupert Bartlett, Memorial College, St. John's, 

 Newfoundland ; Sammy Bartlett, Methodist Academy, Brigus, New- 

 foundland ; Reginald Wilcox, Hartford, Conn. ; Donald Clark, New 

 York ; Arthur Manice, Trinity College ; and Dr. Walter Kemp, Har- 

 vard University. Besides these able lads, I had my usual crew of 

 Newfoundland fishermen and sealers, who thoroughly understand 

 ice. weather, and the ways of the sea. Much of this valuable knowl- 

 edge was soon imparted to the boys, and I know they have learned a 

 number of things of use and profit to themselves. 



Leaving City Island on June 26, we had a fine run to Brigus. New- 

 foundland. July 14 found us off Cape Farewell, Greenland, and 

 working north toward Denmark Strait. During the afternoon of 

 July i". in latitude 63 ° 42' N., longitude i5°4o' W., we saw the most 

 remarkable mirage I had ever witnessed in more than 40 years of 

 Arctic service. It was a mirage of the coast of Iceland, with which 

 I am well acquainted, raised in the sky and bearing 67 ° true. It 

 appeared to be no more than 25 or 30 miles distant, though actually, 

 from where we were plowing along through a smooth sea, it was 

 more than 250 miles away. There can be no doubt of our position, 

 as we had a good check on our instruments and chronometers. If 

 I had been bound for Rejkjavik, Iceland, and had not been sure of 

 my position, 1 would have expected to arrive within a few hours. 

 The contours of the land and the snow-covered summit of the Snae- 

 fells Jokull of Iceland showed up with almost unbelievable clearness. 1 



In a moderate gale we made the ice ; luckily, it was loose, and we 

 were able to lie to in its welcome shelter until the next day, when the 

 wind dropped and the sun came out, giving us our first glimpse of 

 the Blosseville coast in all its cold majesty. We found the northern 

 part of this coast free of ice. We steamed in back of Manby Penin- 

 sula on July 23 to spend our first day ashore in Greenland filling our 

 tanks with the fine, clear water of the little streams tumbling down 

 from the mountain tops. Here we collected our first specimens of 

 Greenland plants and animals for this cruise. Rupert Bartlett, who 

 went ashore, reported on his return that he had found a hot spring. 



July 24, a gorgeous day. was spent cruising along the Liverpool 

 coast. All hands stood in awe of the scenic splendor of the mountain 

 spires emblazoned by the bright summer sun. Many little auks 

 burgomaster gulls, and a few murre were seen along this shore. 



1 Dr. William H. Hobbs, of the University of Michigan, to whom I related 

 my experience, was so impressed that he published a note about it in Science, 

 Dec. 1, 1939. 



