26 Greenland Expedition. [January, 
which travelled in search of food from the north-west, over 
the wide high intervening ice-fields inside the western range 
towards the settlements and pastures in the south-west ; 
and we may understand why “ water fowl ” came from the 
north, and the two far-exerting ravens, who, after this visit 
to the travellers, again returned north. 
According to my theory the growth of perennial ice within 
the interior is greater east than west, the deposition of ice 
being less[and the melting greater in the west. This view I 
find supported by the grouping of the distances travelled 
with the ascents, which are not only due to the elevation of 
the land below, but to the unknown thickness of the ice 
increasing towards the east. 
Leaves and berries from the south-western coast were 
found west, but not east, of camp 9, on the snow ; they had 
been driven before the ascending wind to this weather-line, 
east of which the fine time turned to rain, sleet, and snow. 
The most rapid ascent, 19 m. to each of 5 kilos., was 
from camps 8 to 9, where, at an altitude of 753 m. west of 
an ice-ridge, the travellers saw the last of land and the sea 
shining through the “ lofty peaks ” on the coast. The 
ascents now varied from 9*5 m. to each of 13 kilos., to 
07 m. for each of 10 kilos., probably a real fall of the land ; 
and rose again to 5*05 m. to each of 17 kilos., and to 7*87 m. 
to each of 31*5 kilos. The altitude being now 1213 m., the 
ascent to 1492 m. then fell to 4*8 m. for each of 587 kilos., 
and the ascent to 1975 m., reached by the Lapps even to 
375 m. for each of the further 122*5 kilos. 
Assuming that at the altitude of the 1213 m. the thickness 
of the ice was 200 m., and at that of 1575 m. — where all 
rivulets to south-west and north-west ceased, and the water- 
less smooth ascent commenced — the thickness of the ice 
amounted to almost 1000 metres of ripe bergs, the altitude 
of the land at the 1200 m. would still have been 400 m. 
more than at the 1600 m., and the 400 m. farther ascent on 
the smooth ice might signify a high plateau between de- 
pressions west and east, directed south to north, and uniting 
farther north-east to the bed of the polar Nile. 
The ascent could not be detected by the eye “ on that ice 
horizon which was everywhere as level as that of the sea,” 
or by the greater exertion in ascending, “ so that it was im- 
possible to decide whether we walked up or down hill, and 
this formed a constant source of discussion between us, 
which could only be decided by the heaviness of the sledges 
in the harness,” — a very unsafe standard, because depending 
on the smoothness of the surface and the fatigue of the 
parties. 
