114 THE GERMAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



lamp for the greater part of tlie day. Along the whole 

 length on both sides of the room, we raised a bed of 

 boards to sleep upon, and laid the sacks of straw upon 

 it. It was six inches above the floor, and we then put 

 boards down the middle. To prevent the pillows from 

 freezing to the wall, we had to make a wooden lining 

 along that part. The cooking-stove had its place behind, 

 a smaller one stood more forward. Along the walls, 

 which were covered with sail-cloth, shelves were placed, 

 on which we laid our books, instruments, and cooking 

 vessels. The ship's chests at the foot of the sleeping 

 places along the passage, served both as tables and stools. 

 The gilt-framed looking-glass from the cabin adorned 

 the back wall, underneath which hung a costly barometer, 

 and the accustomed ticking of the clock was to be heard. 

 By all these orderly arrangements, the comfort of our 

 stay in the coal -house would be greatly enhanced. A 

 healthy sleep refreshed us more than anything else ; and, 

 thanks to our excellent preserves, we could strengthen 

 ourselves with the meat soup which the cook prepared. 

 The dread of immediate danger to life had departed ; we 

 breathed more freely, we felt once more at liberty, and 

 even remembered many comical scenes from our ex- 

 periences on the 19th, with laughter and joking. In the 

 evening we had the usual whist, and as we had no table, 

 played on a volume of the ship's journal. 



The greater part of the provisions and fuel, together 

 with the boats, lay not far from the shipwreck. These 

 were conveyed up for the most part on sledges, and took 

 several days to accomplish. All was then stacked near 

 the house. As the depth of snow reached up to the 

 walls, we dug a four-feet-broad walk round the house. 



