Year: 1874

fortunate for us that We were not snftctsd with
those terrible snow storms nom which We had
suffered 90 much In 1869 and 1870 on the coast OF
| Greenland at the time OF the second German ex-
| petition TO the North Pole. The doRs-we had
seven on board-had been installed on deck In
large boxes furnished with strsv = =r@asar
waien ape 9 sgs,..m q msuHoIosisA obssfvssson
ara -e..aurSn6d 16der the direction OF Lieuten-
ant Broscn. Ensign Orel, Captain Carlson. the
boatswAin LuHtna, ana she engineer Krisch. The
men on watch we're relieved every two hours. The
uncertainty Of our situation required the constant
presence OF O. guard on deck-who was also
charged to notify us OF the approach OF the white
bears, sixty-seven OF which we killed ana ate In
the course Of the expedition. Notwithstanding
this welcome source Of nourishment, the sanitary
situation left much to be desired during the nrst
winter and gave plenty OF work to our excellent
doctor, the army surgeon Kepes. In spite OF
socitude that never nagged there were some
cases OF scurvy ana bronchitis. The scurvy, re-
sulting partly from the moral depression caused
by our situation, did not disappear till things be-
gan to mend . little, and particularly when the
arduous work on the ice CONNIE need In summer.
The sun had disappeared on the 18th OF October
for 100 days. We nau constructed for ourselves
charcoal hut near the ship, in order to have
shelter provided In case our vessel should snc-
0oS0uito
on Christmas Eve movement OF the ice destroyed
this future shelter, and we considered ourselves
fortunate that the accident went no further, and
to be able, safe and sound, to pass those hours
together which, no matter In what part OF the
globe we may nnd ourselves, are consecrated to
the souvenir OF the fatherland.


The first day OF 1873 arrived but It was without
hope that we awaited the course OF this new year.
We were still pushed more and more toward rhe
north and toward the east ana had almost
attained the 18th degree OF north latitude,
after having passed the 7srd degree OF east
longitude. We had already reason TO snp-
pose that we were going to get clear Of the east
ern coast OF Siberia. 1t was fated however, to
turn out d.nerenuy. for the winds commenced to
push us toward the northwest On the 10th OF Feb
ruary the sun reappeared for the first time on the
horizon, ana the 25th of the same month the tor
ture OF the pressure Of the ice diminished all on
sudden, and continued to grow more feeble, al
though II had formed verttable circular rampant
OF reefs around our vessel which was considerably
elevated and inclined over TO larboard. The cold
continued to increase and did attain It's maxi
mum t37 deg R6aumur) tin the end OF February.
the aurora borealls, whioh had given us light up
to that time with Incompatible splendor dimin-
ished little BY little IN intensity In proportion as
the days grew long.





good hopes that our ice bank would soon dissolve
and that our liberation would soon come We
put everything in operation to hasten this event,
bur the months OF July ana August were passed
at the onerous task Of saving the ice around the
ship. Alas, all our enorts were vainl The ice had
thickness Of as much as forty nine feet and the
middle Of the vessel lay inmobile and unmoved on
it's bed OF ice. me level OF the snow and the Ice
having lowered from tive to three fathoms IN the
course Of the summer, the Tegethon found her
self seven feet above her ordinary water mark
and ran the risk Of capsizing, thing We endeav-
ored to prevent by solidy propping the masts.
The northerly winds which prevailed in July had
brought us back little toward the south (belew
the 7oth deg. Of north latttudel. but the south
winds, which commenced to blow during the
month Of August, carried US again to the north.
Each day our hope OF seeing the Ice break up grew
less and less, although we often heard at short
distance from our icebank tho cracking noise
which 10 the Characteristic precursor OF the break
ing up. and we could perceive in the distance
blush linea which revealed the presence Of crew
ices and small channels OF water; but we were
destined not to reach them.


Sadly resigned, we were preparing to confront
the horrors Of q second wntering, with the terrl-
bic pressure Of the ice and without daring to hope
for more fortunate result at the end OF this





suddenly modified entirely IN our favor. FOR
q long time we had been floating with our
icebank in quarters where man had never before
penetrated; but 1t was always in vain that our
eyes had sought the trace Of some unknown land.
Therefore It was great surprise and quite an I'm
porrant event for the expedition when on the stst
OF August, we suddenly perceived at distance Of
about fourteen geographical miles portions Of
land ging from stratum OF log on the north.
The southern limit OF the principal piece OF land
appeared to lie about the eighteth degree. At
the same time We saw around u.s. for the nrst
time, numerous noattng mountains OF Ice. We all
precipitated ourselves involuntarily toward this
unknown land. but our ardor was soon to receive
o curb at the end even Of our own icebank, at the
distance Of q single mile from the ship, for innu-
m cradle crevices cut on from us the way to the
promised land. 1t was . torture OF Tantalus
to have before the eyes for months
vast unknown country; to have succeeded
in making rare discovery In the annals of arctic
explorations, and not to be able attain the end
80 much desired. Our vessel continued to noat
here and there at the mercy OF the icebank, and
whoever would quit the latter would be cut or
rom his companions and probably lost


At last In the last days OF October. we ap-
preached within three geographical miles Of an
isle situated In advance Of our unknown land.
on the ice, which was creviced IN thoussud
places, gained the heap OF blocks and set our feet
on terra fy-na-atitude 70 deg. 81 min. north.


bed Of fce, single foot In thickness, near the
coast pointed out TO US the presence OF water
coming from the land. But 1t is impossible to
dream Of an isle more sad more utterly desolate
than that on which wehad just landed. The snow
and the ice cover only immense piles OF ruins.
However, such as 1t was, the isle had none the
less Importance for us. for which reason we gave
1t the name Of Count Wilczek, the promoter OF our
expedition. while waiting for further discoveries


On the 22d Of October the sun had left us for
second time. In the meantime. pronting by the
few hours OF twilight during the following week,
we undertook some excursions as far as ten miles
from the ship, but without being able to form an
idea of the connguration OF the country. Was it
an archipelago or little isets like that before us
copfapopt