Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-04
By JAMES M. SCOTT.

leader of the expedition, and failed
IN cover the expected distance on our
scutaavu journey.
III al, air route Is to cross Greenland
It's ccuia, must necessarily be modified
by Ghs altitude of the ice cap Travel
ing Mouth last Autumn from the center
statiun. We found that the height de-
creased .SlIthward in a line between
De QUE aine and Ansens. the highest
points. tlt we did not get far enough
at that Stormy season to complete the
profile.
On the evening Of July / Andrew
Stephenson, Lieut.. Martin Lindsay and
/ left the base with 8 sledges and 81
dogs. Our plan was to make o rough
journey o.. the coastal mountains, at
least as far south as Namyses Crossing,
and ther. TO turn across the middle of
the ice cap to find out what we could
about itG altitude.
Find Companions.
For the first two nights we were ac-
compared BY q small Photographic
party. We we're very glad of their
comphny, although at times q trffie
embarrassed by their attentions. They
had their shsiaa Of adventures among
the crepa sses, however, for flight Lieut.
Cozens sank tn lis armpttS through q
snow bridge whlm taking q photograph
Of the camp.
TirouShout he journey we travelled
,%t night At this time Of the year the
asa tenn ,erAture TT lower levels 10 al
ways Shwe the freezing point, which
mesrlG a sticky sledging surface. But
st nSgiiS the slush was frozen into q
Shrpefy crust which increased the
dogs pace enormously, while we could
glide along on skis beside the sledges.
Consequently our hours of travel were
limited merely by the altitude Of the
sun and never by fatigue.
This one point demonstrates rather
well the main difference between sum
lner and Winter siedging. In Winter
travelling II strictly regulated by the
hours Of light and darkness and by the
temper OF the elements. Camping and
breaking camp are alike, miserable. In
Summer, on the other hand, one stops
travelling only when 1t becomes 30 warm
that the idea Of standing about for q
little seems rather pleasant.
Weather IL Pleasant.
Besides this, the wind and snow sur
face are never 30 bad IN Summertime
as to make travelling quite impossible,
and 1t Is pleasant to feel that weather
alone Is not likely TO alter the issue Of
the journey.
Another point not without impor-
much more intriguing 70 travel at
night. BY day the even expanse Of snow
always looks much the same, but at
night the cloud and light effects are full
OF interest. The sun was only below
the horizon for very few hours, 50
that the gay sunset clouds did not have
time to lose their color before they were
rekindled TO announce the dawn.
July Is We were as far south rs
UmtEik Ford, 90 We had plenty of
time IN hand. This would have allowed
u to travel further south near the
coast, but we had been climbing all the
time, and even IN clear weather we
were apt 70 lose sight Of the mountains
because Of the steep drop to the coast.
Work II Restricted.
TO see the mountains proper we would
have had 10 descend within q crevassed
area. which would have meant
course and consequently
work. For this reason we
decided to turn southeast up the slope
and content ourselves with aneroid,
radio and meteorological observations.
FOR the next four nights, in which
we covered iOo miles, we were still
climbing. The readings of our instru-
ment have not yet been corrected. but
It seems probable that we reached an
altitude of well over 1000 feet, the high
st crossing Of the ice cap.
In this area we had good deal of
misty weather. Since we were no
onger looking for mountains this did
~ tank
light made 1t more difficult to keep q
straight course and we had to travel
sntirely by dead reckoning. However,
we found that with an oil compass
On to the leading sledge we
could keep q quite reasonable course
We had brought with us bamboo
poles and . homemade species Of square
sail. As soon as we began to 60 down
The western slope we had the wind be-
hind us, so we rugged the sails and
Iouxd them considerable help. One
night we covered Just under 30 miles,
put we all decided that the manage
ment Of such craft on the slippery but
Uneven snow crust when we ourselves
we're ON skis was rather hectic form
II Winter sport.
When the front sledge stopped 10
camp it was q good sight to see the
other two coming up with their sails
believing 10 the wind, sledge flags n.y.
Ing and the excited dogs galioping along
IN front
From descriptions of the inland ice
one Is apt to get the idea that 1t forms
> dreadfully uninteresting landscape.
This may be partly true, but all bore
dom - forgotten as soon rs the first
mountain top appears above the horizon.
q lost from view In the next valley and
then appears again, perhaps with two
Or three companion peaks, from the
top Of the next rise.
See Fer 50 Miles.
We first saw the West Coast Noun
tains miraged up from a distance of
more than SO miles. and the widest
bets were made as TO their identity
when we had taken latitude obServa-
tons we were able to recognise some
Of the more distinct landmarks.
The first mountains we had sighted
proved 20 be nunataks Just separated
by ice from the Arsic Mountains. which
stretched about 20 miles farther inland
than they are shown TO do on the map.
We had come out rather too far
north Of Tvigtut glacier and now trav-
eied In q southeriy direction looking
for q good way through the creyasses
and for a gap in the mountains through
which the glacier flows.
From now on every moment became
exciting Lindsay hurried after the
other sledges with the news that he
had seen q nag and at the luncheon
halt q feather was passed around and
admired. We climbed q ni1nntak and
located q likely looking valley. but