374 Arctic and Antarctic Exploration [part i 
discovered that it ended, and that the channel across 
Greenland was imaginary. The Danish explorers arrived 
at the head of this fjord on June 8th and remained 
there, mapping and exploring, for several days. Two 
branch fjords were discovered, one to the south named 
after Hagen, and one to the north after Bronlund. 
In the Arctic regions the summer has not the extreme 
cold of the Antarctic summer, but it brings greater 
suffering to the explorer. Water forms on the floes, 
often more than knee deep, open water suddenly appears 
cutting off communications, and long delays are caused 
before young ice will bear. To these obstacles the 
gallant Danish explorers were exposed, though they 
were fortunately able to obtain a certain amount of 
game. The summer was the cause of their destruction. 
It was passed near the entrance of Danmark Fj ord 
from June to August. The snow was soft and deep, 
and water-making, and at last there was no ice across 
the fjord. They had to travel over the hills to reach 
a fresh hunting ground at Sjellands Sletten. Here musk 
oxen, hares, brent geese, and ptarmigan were obtained. 
But the dogs were failing, and much reduced in number. 
Foot-gear was wearing out, and Hagen, with Bronlund's 
help, tried to make boots out of the leather bag for the 
sextant. Fuel was all used, but there was some drift- 
wood, and one of the sledges was broken up. At length, 
in October, the ice bore, and the return journey was 
commenced along the coast to Lambert Land depot. 
But their troubles continued. They were stopped by 
open water at Antarctic Bay, and had no alternative 
but to take to the inland ice. Nearly exhausted, with 
few dogs left, it took them four days to drag the sledge 
up to the ice cap. They continued to work their way 
south, dying men, but unconquered and resolute to the 
last. They were not perishing from want of food, but 
from frost-bites, illness, misery, and exhaustion. They 
descended into Seventy-nine Fjord on their way to the 
Lambert Land depot, and then the end came. It had 
been a terrible journey. Hagen died on the 15th of 
November, Erichsen two days afterwards. Taking his 
diary and Hagen's maps and drawings, Bronlund staggered 
on to the depot, where as we have seen, his body was 
