THE 'GAUSS' EXPEDITION 31 



mass of icebergs around her, and filled up the inter- 

 vening space with floes, so that there could be no 

 question of making any way. They had to swallow the 

 bitter pill, and prepare to spend the winter where they 

 were. 



Observatories were built of ice, and sledge journeys 

 were undertaken as soon as the surface permitted. 

 They reached land in three and a half days, and there 

 discovered a bare mountain, about 1,000 feet high, 

 fifty miles from the ship. The land was named 

 Kaiser Wilhelm II. Land, and the mountain the 

 Gaussberg. 



They occupied the winter in observations of every 

 possible kind. The weather was extremely stormy and 

 severe, but their winter harbour, under the lee of great 

 stranded bergs, proved to be a good one. They were 

 never once exposed to unpleasant surprises. 



On February 8, 1903, the Gauss was able to begin 

 to move again. From the time she reached the open 

 sea until her arrival at Cape Town on June 9, scientific 

 observations were continued. 



High land had been seen to the eastward on the 

 bearing of Wilkes's Termination Land, and an amount 

 of scientific work had been accomplished of which 

 the German nation may well be proud. Few Antarctic 

 expeditions have had such a thoroughly scientific 

 equipment as that of the Gauss, both as regards 

 appliances and personnel. 



