Page:The frozen North; an account of Arctic exploration for use in schools (IA frozennorthaccou00hort).pdf/121

 these queer shoes to his feet and trying to climb the high mountains.

One day this question came suddenly into Nansen's mind: Why might not a party of good ski-löbners cross Greenland from coast to coast? After thinking the matter over for a time, Nansen concluded that it could be done. From that moment he devoted all his time and energy to carrying out his idea. He decided that the best plan would be to start from the east coast and travel across to the west. The east coast was barren and uninhabited. Sometimes a few wandering Eskimo tribes found their way there, but no settlements had been made. On the western coast there were settlements.