The New York herald., 1874-10-23

RK HERALD, FRIDAY, o
maximum II became Impossible 70 Distinguish by
any means the day from the night An ab-
solute darkness ehveloped NJ during several
weeka We celebrated without any impedimsnA
the festival OF Christmas In o house OF ice con-
structed on the icebank. After this the cold be-
come more intense and, as In the previous winter,
the mercury remained nosen during whole weeks.
sc sc IlgM q isS yhlts easIl ysre also more me-
quens than during tSy otR6f ssds5dG These
animals came to the immediate proximity OF tne
vessel so that We could kill them by firing from
she top OF the deck. The stxty-seven white bears
that we killed gave us 1900 pounds OF fresh
meat-that is, the most e1ncacious means TO COM
bat the scurvy. More than tnat, the care OF our
doctor, Q worthy representative Of Hungary IN
every respect and principally the benign
influence OF the returned sun oath OF February
preserved the greater number OF our nck men
nom the danger OF prolonged suffering. But that
did not prevent the using mp OF several medica-
ments nom creating serious fears for the sanitary
condition Of the expedition II We should be con-
demned to Q third wintering on the ice. This con-
sideration, and also the sad certainty that our
ship would noas again during the whole summer
on her indlssoluble bank OF Toe, and. IN nne the
more than ever to be admitted probability tnas
the Tegethon, raised as II was, would capsixe on
the melting OF the snow. brought us 70 take the
resolution to abandon the vessel at the end OF
May, and to attempt Our return TO Europe by
means OF the boats and sleighs. But IN tho mean.
time we were decided to make long excursions
for the purpose Of exploring the country. The
success OF these excursions depended nasurally
on chance. II the snip should be carried away be-
fore the return Of the excuratonsts yhe latter
would be lost, and the crew that remained on
board would md itself sensibiy diminished. But
the exploration and the general study Of the mys-
terous country which stretched Itself ont before
rs were OF such Importance to the expedition that
we resolved to attempt the adventure.
We were In the month OF March, The weather
was bad the cold very sharp. the heat Of the sun
feeble even at midday; but circumstances forced
US to hasten our departure. Consequently on the
10th OF March the Tyrolese, Haller and Klotz twho
had been attached to the expedition with an ex-
press view to eventual ascensions), the sailors
Cottarnich Lettts, Pospiscnel, Lukinovitch and
myself Payer, quilted the ship, accompanied by
three dogs. Furnished with . largo sleigh, wo
proceeded In the direction OF the northwest (close
TO the western part OF our unknown land, making
the ascension Of the mountainous capes Tegetthof
and McClint0ck, 2.bo0 feet), and traversed the
picturesque Nordenskjoo- -Fiord, closed BY an
enormous coat OF Ice, the edge Of the glacier
Sonklar.
The country Is deprived Of all trace OF nfo On
all sides gigantic glaciers jut out from the pro-
found solitudes OF the mountains, the masses OF
which rise up IN abrupt cones ana high plateaus.
The prevailing rock is the dolerite. Everything IL
OF dazzling whlteness. The symmetrical stages
Of the mountains produce the enect Of colossal
utoll lls7ot rtvnn
series OF colonnades Nowhere. Just as Is also
seen In Greenland, spitsbergen and Nova Zemhla,
does the rock show itself in its natural color
which Is to be attributed to the condensation OF
the humidity Of the air on the coats OF the rocks
This humidity also interferes with our apprecia-
ton OF distances. Strange to say, the sky is per-
fectly serene.
The excessively low temperature which existed
during our excursion necessttated incessant meas
ures Of precaution on our part The thermometer
descended TO 10 deg, Reaumur, and at the same
time 1t marked 81 deg, Reaumur, on board the
ship. The cold was particularly felt during the
night. We also suffered much on getting to the
top OF the glacier Sonkar, although there was
only q feeble blast Of wind. All our clothes were
stinened on our bodies, and very strong rum that
we had with us seemed TO have not only lost It's
strength but to be no longer nquid.
Returning to our ship on the 10th OF March, we
Immediately made preparations for . second ex.
cursion which should last thirty days and have for
its object the exploration OF tine stretch Of country
to the north. Three days later We lost one OF our
companions, the engineer Krlsch, who fell Victim
70 an attack or consumption with which he mad
been for some time AFFLICTED, and which was COM
pllcated by an attack OF scurvy. The burial took
place during violent snow storm. We deposited
the body between columns OF basalt and sur
mounted the tomb By . simple cross.
TN the 21st Of March, IN the morning, we again
set ont en- route for the north. The expedition
was composed OF NJ orel, the Tyroese Haller an
Klotz. the sailors Zaninovitch. soussich and
Lukinovitch, and myself Unfortunately our team
OF dogs became disjointed. We could only take
three OF these faithful animals with us to help US
to draw our large sleigh, the load on which
weighed sixteen quintals; all the others were
dead or unit for this service. Contrary to all ex-
pectation. the temperature did not fall below 20
degrees RAaumur during the whole excur-
sion, but the downfall OF snow and the humidity
az wen as the number OF crevices We
met with, and the water that sub
merged our path, made the journey very ardu-
ous and painful for rs. The results Of shis ex-
pedition can only be seen superfcialy, except by
the aid OF charts and OF sketches made on the
voyage, and that is peculiarly true from q topo-
graphical point Of view. 1t will suf1ce. then,
without anticipating the detailed account, to say
that the whole OF the lands discovered have about
the same extent as the isles OF Spttzbergen, and
that these lands are composed OF several con-
siderable agglomerations, cut up BY numerous
Hoyds and surrounded by number OF islets. one
OF these lands situated to the east, has received
the name OF Wilczek Land, and that situated 70
the west the name OF Zicny.
An immense strait Austria Sound, separates
these masses along their length. 1t commences at
Cape Hansa, and directing itself toward tho north,
becomes bifurcated at 80 deg. north latitude,
below Prince Rudolph's Land, into two arms Of
which we have been able to follow the one running
to the north east, ana which Is very large. as far
as cape Pesth, at the extreme north. The dolerite
is every where the prevailing rock. The horizontal
layers OF rocK the mountains, which rise brusquely
in the form OF rruncated cones, vividly recall the
mountains OF Abyssinia and give to the country q