ik ▁Bay ▁on ▁the ▁n ort he astern ▁side ; ▁one ▁on ▁the ▁main land ▁shore ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁in ▁the ▁Gar ner ▁Islands . ▁ ▁Until ▁recent ▁times ▁In uit ▁people ▁visited ▁the ▁area ▁during ▁hunting ▁tri ps . ▁Frid j of ▁N ansen ▁wrote : ▁▁ ▁N ansen ' s ▁expedition ▁left ▁se aler ▁Jason ▁near ▁S erm il ik ▁F j ord , ▁where ▁N ansen ▁had ▁initially ▁decided ▁to ▁start ▁the ▁crossing . ▁However , ▁there ▁followed ▁days ▁of ▁extreme ▁fr ustration ▁for ▁the ▁party ▁as , ▁prevent ed ▁by ▁weather ▁and ▁sea ▁conditions ▁from ▁reaching ▁the ▁shore , ▁they ▁dr ift ed ▁south wards ▁with ▁the ▁ice . ▁Most ▁of ▁this ▁time ▁was ▁spent ▁camp ing ▁on ▁the ▁ice ▁itself — it ▁was ▁too ▁dangerous ▁to ▁launch ▁the ▁boats . ▁By ▁ 2 9 ▁July ▁they ▁were ▁ ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁point ▁where ▁they ▁had ▁left ▁the ▁ship . ▁On ▁that ▁day ▁they ▁finally ▁reached ▁land , ▁but ▁were ▁too ▁far ▁south ▁to ▁begin ▁the ▁crossing . ▁After ▁a ▁brief ▁rest , ▁N ansen ▁ordered ▁the ▁team ▁back ▁into ▁the ▁boats ▁and ▁to ▁begin ▁row ing ▁north . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁next ▁ 1 2 ▁days ▁the ▁party ▁batt led ▁north ward ▁along ▁the ▁coast ▁through ▁the ▁ice ▁flo es . ▁On ▁the ▁first ▁day ▁they ▁encountered ▁a ▁large ▁E sk imo ▁enc amp ment ▁near ▁Cape ▁Ste en ▁B ille , ▁and ▁there ▁were ▁further ▁occas ional ▁contacts ▁with ▁the ▁nom adic ▁native ▁population ▁as ▁the ▁journey