A mother-bear and her cubs were sighted once, pursued, 
and then lost in the mists. An ivory gull was less fortunate. 
Owing to such things as these, it was not until July 26th 
that we found ourselves at Latitude 73 0 20', Longitude 15 0 39' 
west. At this point, thanks to the air being so clear, the 
mountains of the coast, from Cape Hold-with-Hope to Pen¬ 
dulum Island, seventy-five miles distant, could be seen from 
the crow’s nest. 
Fine stor-kobbe (Phoca barbata), the largest seal of the 
north, were to be had off here, and we killed one of these. 
The animals were found near the coast alone. Each yields 
a barrel of blubber. 
The clear weather which we were now having made the 
solid ice, barring the ship from the Greenland coast, irritate 
all the more. 
In the afternoon attempts to bore the pack were made, 
only to bring us to anchor once again. 
It was not until 7 30 at night that a clear waterway opened. 
Then—so rapid the effect of the wind on the ice—by ten 
we were well out of the pack, and headed for Greenland! 
The good luck was not to last, and from that day on,— 
it was July 27th now,—until the 20th of August, the Laura 
was enveloped in fog, or else beset,—front, rear and sides,— 
by ice floes. 
The course in these days was changed to all points of com¬ 
pass, despite the goal-—ice-bound Greenland. 
Obstruction in the straits, fog, great floes, heavy mist, 
5 [65] 
July 26 th 
July 27 th 
