File:The American Museum journal (c1900-(1918)) (17975303809).jpg

Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo18amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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Map of a part of Greenland, on which Rasmussen outlined in 1916 the intended route to Peary Land over the inland ice cap. The expedition was delayed until 1917, when an early start in April allowed the sea ice route to b:- followed instead. The fjords and inlets explored are supposed to be those along the North Greenland coast between In- dejiendence and Sherard Osborn fjords try. It is reportoil tliat lie took only suflicii'iit ptMumioan to insure safety on the return trip which was to be made over the in- lauil ice cap. One of the most iiit'M-esting items in t he report of the 1!)J"J expedition was a discovery of "t(>nt rinf^s," circles of stones in position for fastening tents to the ground, showing a former temporary occupation by iinos. To search for evidences of previous per- manent occupation was one of the aims of the Sec- ond Thule Expedition. In describing these tent rings, Uasniussen gives a picture of the isolated Peary Land as a place of abounding animal and plant life. "And here we found ourselves as it were trans- ported to another quarter of the globe. We sighted musk ox even before reaching land, and our first im- )>ression, as soon as we had crossed the ice limit up on to the shore (from Independence Fjord), was one of fertility and life. It was a real delight to see, not clay, nor rocks, nor gravel, but earth; mould, dotted everywhere with red blossoming saxifrage. Along the river banks were tracks of musk ox, hare, and lemming, and in the air above,the skuas shrieked out a welcome. . . . Naturally also, it was here that we made one of the most interesting discoveries of the expedition, encountering at several places old Eskimo tent rings as evidence of previous occupa- tion. . . . The tents faced towards the northeast, the entrances looking out towards the fjord. The hunting grounds appeared to have been chosen with unerring instinct, for the fjord was full of seals basking in the sun. . . . Those (tent rings) on the eastern side were of unusually small circumference. . . . The tent rings on the western side of the Fjord, numbering five in all, were considerably larger. . . . The largest of the best preserved rings measured 4 m. long by 2.70 broad. The ground out- side each of them was strewn with bones of musk ox and seal, showing that the tent-dwellers had not lacked meat." The following outline by Mr. Easmussen giving the original plans for work will be of especial in- terest for comparison with the accomplished results when these are known in detail. — The Editor. Plans for the Second Thule Expedition to North Greenland Bv K N U D RASMUSSEN IT may Vje remembered that in 1912, on the First Thule Expedition, Freuchen and I found ourselves obliged to shape our course for home without having been able to penetrate entirely through the newly discov- ered Adam Bierings Land to the neighbor- hood of Nordenskiold Inlet and Sherard Os- born Fjord. When we made the decision to return, we had been out for more than four months on a continuous march of very ardu- ous nature through unknown country. As soon, therefore, as we had succeeded in sur- veying the base of Independence Fjord with its immediate surroundings, and thus defi- nitely ascertained that Peary Land was con- nected by land with Greenland, it was neces- sary, both for our own sake and that of the dogs, to make our way back over the inland ice, postponing the exploration of the last unknown regions in Greenland until a more 393

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