380 A rctic and A nt arctic Exploration [part i 
Freuchen who had served with Erichsen, a joyous com- 
rade, a cartographer, and possessed of hardihood and 
great endurance. With four sledges and 54 dogs they 
started from the Clements Markham glacier, a little to 
the north of Whale Sound, on the 19th of April, 1912. 
They soon found that tents were much better than snow 
huts, and the walrus meat they took with them kept the 
dogs in good condition. The highest part of Greenland 
on this meridian was found to be 7300 feet. In descending 
into the Danmark Fjord of Erichsen some dogs fell over 
precipices, but otherwise all were in good condition. Their 
rate of travelling was fast, 17 journeys bringing them to 
Danmark Fjord, 504 miles. Rasmussen travelled down 
Danmark Fjord for 72 miles, until he reached the sea, and 
then proceeded up another fjord of great length, running 
nearly east and west. This was all Erichsen's ground. 
It was found that the coasts of the fjord were more fre- 
quented by game and had more vegetation on the north 
than on the south side. On June 17th the head of the 
long fjord was reached, some extensive ice-free land was 
discovered, and a glacier leading to the inland ice. Peary's 
record was found by Freuchen, on a height quite at the 
end of the fjord. His incomplete observations, as already 
stated, caused the recording of a non-existent channel 
from the east to the west coast of Greenland, and the 
publication of quite erroneous maps for many years. 
At the end of the long fjord discovered by Erichsen, 
which he called Independence Fjord, Rasmussen found 
a steep glacier, and on the north side a valley full of 
flowers, which he named Valmuedalen, or the vallev of 
poppies. Here the party rested for a few days and shot 
several musk oxen. The return was commenced on 
August 8th by ascending the glacier with great difficulty. 
They still had 27 dogs ; and Thule was safely reached on 
September 15th, 1912. The return journey alone covered 
621 miles, the double journey 1200 miles — the finest ever 
performed by dogs. 
By this remarkable and well-conducted journey Ras- 
mussen corrected the errors on our maps and made 
important discoveries. It is his intention, while guarding 
the interests and looking after the welfare of the Arctic 
