CHAPTER V. 



FROM THE BLOCKING DP OF THE HANSA TO OUR SETTLEMENT 

 ON THE FLOE. 7tH SEPT. TO END OF OCT. 



Fresh .ittempt to reach the coast. — Open water to westwards. — TIic 

 llansa completely frozen in by Sept. 14th. — Pressure of the 

 floes against the ship. — A she-bear and her culx — The bear killed. 

 — Wintering on the ice off the coast unavoidable. — Our prospects 

 for the futui-e. — We build a house in which to pass the winter. — 

 The boats clear. — The Hansa in a struggle with the ice. — 

 Breaking up of the keel. — The ship has to be abandoned. — Extri- 

 cation of the chief necessaries from the ship. — First night in the 

 Hansa-house on the floe.— Wreck of the Hansa. — Favourable 

 weather during the period of the catastrophe. — Sinking of the 

 wreck. — Completion of the arrangements in our hut. — Hoisting 

 of the North German flag. — We steadily drift to the southwards. 



On the 7th of September the hope of reaching the 

 coast fluttered once more in our breasts. In the 

 afternoon, with clear weather and a temperature of 

 20° Fahr., the coast-hne was clearly to be seen about 

 thirty-five nautical miles distant. To the west of the 

 ice-field, on the east side of which the Hansa lay 

 blocked up, could be seen a large, open, navigable, white- 

 crested water which seemed to reach to the coast. We 

 took an excursion over the ice-field along the southern 

 border towards the west, in order to ascertain whether 

 the channel there was navigable all the way through, so 

 that by means of it we might reach the open water. 



