The Baltic Greenland Expedition part 1

[ledeper]

The Baltic Greenland Expedition

Members of the expedition:
Arnorr Gudjohnsson: Leader of the expedition.
Ludvig Erickson:Scientific leader of the expedition.
Niels Hagen: Cartographer
Jørgen Brøndlund:Inuit dogdriver?
Alfred Wegener:Meterologist
Johan Koch: Cartographer
Tobias Gabrielsen: Inuit dogdriver
Rolf Joensen: Navigator and Cartographer assistant
Peter Freuchen:Stoker and Meterologist assistant
Hendrik Olsen: Inuit dogdriver
Fritz Johannson:Botanist
Albert Smith:Zoologist
Carl Andersson: Geologist
Peter Lindhart:Doctor
Achton Friis:Artist and Cook.

1/8 1910

The expedition arrives at 75,5 dg north/22dg east at a fjord which is named Danmarkshavn about 300 km south of Cape Drygalsky/Lambert-land and uses the last weeks of the summer to establish a camp and setting up plans for the expeditions in the spring.
The main goals of the expedition are to map the remaining unmapped territories up to North-East Foreland and further on to Independence and Peary-land.

There will be 4 Sledge teams each consisting of 3 men with sledges and 30 dogs.

Team 1: Erickson-Hagen and Brøndlund will map the coastline and is to reach Peary-land and is to decide if Independence is a fjord or a channel.

Team 2:Wegener-Koch and Tobias Gabrielsen is to map the remains of the coastline from North-East rounding and further to Cape Clarence Wykoff at 83 dg North.

Team 3 :Rolf Joensen-Freuchen and Hendrik Olsen is to map Amdrup-land an lay out depots together with team 4 whose task is to conduct scientific surveys at Danmarkshavn and map the coastline from Danmarkshavn to Cape Drygalsky.

During the winter of 1910-11 the sledge teams is laying out the first two depots 100 and 200 km north of Danmarkshavn.

26/3 1911
All four teams heads north from Danmarkshavn together, team 3 and 4 will be turning back after laying out depots at Cape Drygalsky and at the North-East Foreland, while the other two teams will continue north.
Excerpts from Rolf Joenson dairy:
26/3:
We began the journey north, weather is beautiful the sun appears around 10 and is casting a glittering light on the snow.

1/4
A small snowstorm, have to stop for the day due lack of visibility.

2/4
Another beautiful day, the wind has calmed down to nearly nothing, the snow is firm and hard so the dogs are really enjoying it, we camp for the night, and during the night temperature is sinking to minus 32 dg(C).

5/4
Returning for a new load of supplies

14/4
All four teams arrive at Cape Drygalsky at noon and establish a main depot of supplies.