CHAPTER IV 

 FRANZ JOSEF LAND 



Austro-Hungarian expedition of 1872 The voyage as planned The drift of 

 the TegetthqffThe polyglot crew Discovery of Franz Josef Land 

 Payer's description of an aurora The sledge journeys Crown Prince 

 Rudolf Land Cape Fligely reached Abandonment of the Tegetthqjf 

 The boat voyage to Cape Britwin Leigh Smith's expeditions Loss of 

 the Eira The retreat in the boats Jackson in Franz Josef Land His 

 excellent survey work The Italian expedition under the Duke of the 

 Abruzzi Cagni attempts to reach the Pole and is stopped at 86 34' 

 The return journey. 



IN 1871 Weyprecht and Payer were out in the 

 cutter Isbjorn, pioneering for their intended voyage 

 to the eastward, which started next year in the Tegett- 

 hqjf', the famous Austro-Hungarian attempt of 1872 

 which may be described as an unintentional voyage of 

 unexpected discovery. The amount of credit due to 

 a man who starts to find one thing and lights upon 

 another has always been a contentious matter, and 

 this expedition afforded an extreme case for such 

 speculations. The plan was to go east-north-east, the 

 wintering places being undetermined, though they 

 might be Cape Chelyuskin, the New Siberian Islands, 

 or any land that might be discovered ; and a return 

 to Europe through Bering Strait lay among the 

 possibilities of the venture, as an endeavour was to 

 be made to reach the coast of Siberia in boats and 

 penetrate south down one of the large rivers of 



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