Greenland
On April 1st Mikkelsen and Laub found that they were by observation no less than 15 miles south of their dead reckoning, much to their surprise and dismay—only another proof of the uselessness of dead reckoning unless checked by astronomical observations. It was intended that Laub should travel round the west side of the large nunatak called Dronning Luisa’s Land and then return round the south end. At the north end of the land there was a little moss here and there, but no sign of any living thing. Bad weather, excessively difficult marching, and shortage of provisions obliged Laub and his two companions to return by the way they came, and on reaching the winter quarters they found that the Alabama had filled and sunk, and their shipmates were in a tent. Eventually, however, they were able to build a house with some of the ship’s timbers.
Meanwhile Captain Mikkelsen and his companion Iversen continued their march, making a very remarkable and difficult journey across the inland ice direct to the head of the Danmark Fjord which, it will be remembered, had been discovered by Erichsen. On May 18th they reached the head of the fjord. Several remains of Erichsen’s party were found, then a record, and ultimately a second record. Erichsen recorded this discovery of the long fjord, at the head of which was Peary’s furthest point, with two fjords branching from it. He had also found that Peary’s strait across Greenland had no existence. This information was important, as Mikkelsen had intended to return by the imaginary channel and the west coast of Greenland, in which case he and his companion would probably have perished. As it was, the return by the coast with the dogs worn out, deep soft snow, and much surface water, was a sufficiently dangerous undertaking. Mikkelsen was for some time unable to walk, and the explorers went through great hardships.
At length, after terrible sufferings, the two men returned to the winter quarters, only to find that their ship had sunk and that all their companions had gone home in a vessel that arrived in the summer. A house, needing much repair and full of snow, had been built out of timber from the wreck, and there were provisions. In view of the paucity of game, their companions considered that they would serve the absent men best by returning when there was a chance, thus avoiding the consumption of the remaining provisions. “They were all persuaded that Captain Mikkelsen would succeed in fighting his way through, armed as he was with iron energy and great Arctic knowledge, and with a companion who would stick to him through thick and thin.”
At last a vessel arrived to rescue them, after three winters, and the two heroic explorers were brought safely back to Copenhagen. This expedition, with its aspirations accomplished and its valuable results, stands high in the polar record. Mikkelsen’s reward was the appreciation of his work by the scientific geographers of all countries. His interesting narrative is contained in the Story of the Alabama Expedition, 1909–1912.
Rasmussen
The expedition across Greenland led by Knud Rasmussen, a Dane born in Greenland, is of very special interest because it inaugurates what is intended to be a permanent system of exploring work, which at the same time undertakes the protection of the Arctic Highlanders, that most interesting tribe, quite uncontaminated by contact with civilisation when first discovered by Sir John Ross in 1818 and visited by the writer in 1850. Under modern conditions the protection of the Danish Government is much needed by these well-intentioned but simple and isolated people.
With this most laudable object Rasmussen in July 1910 formed a settlement among these people in Wolstenholme Sound, which he called “Thule.” In the following year, becoming anxious for the safety of Mikkelsen and his companion, he organised an expedition to cross Greenland with the hope of relieving them. This was the main object, discovery being secondary.
Rasmussen’s expedition was a thoroughly efficient one. He was accompanied by two Eskimos and by young Freuchen who had served with Erichsen, a joyous comrade, 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 frequented 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.