DRIFTING TO THE SOUTH. 117 



eyes often rested with sorrow on the spot where the 

 Hansa went down. Now there was room enough for 

 her between the field and the land-ice ! 



At the end of October the sun rose at half -past nine 

 a.m., and set behind the rocky coast at three p.m. In the 

 coal-house we could only see to read and write under 

 the dormer-windows for a few hours each day. We 

 grew more and more accustomed to the daily round of 

 things, which so much resembled that on board. The last 

 night-watch woke us at seven. We rose, threw on our 

 woollen clothing, washed in melted snow, and enjoyed 

 our morning coffee with hard bread. Then we all be- 

 took ourselves to the ever-plentiful stock of work; the 

 finishing of all sorts of useful and still wanting furni- 

 ture, sail-sewing, wood-chopping, replacing clothes from 

 the clothes-store, keeping the diaries, and study. In 

 clear weather astronomical observations were taken, and 

 all necessary calculations recorded. At one we dined. 

 Strong meat- soup formed the substantial part of this 

 meal ; and as we were in no want of preserved vegetables, 

 we had plenty of changes prepared for us. Of salt meat 

 and bacon we eat little. Of all spirits we had to be very 

 sparing, only allowing ourselves one glass of strengthen- 

 ing port- wine on Sundays. Our state of health all 

 through the winter was good. Except the sailor Schmidt's 

 attack of fever when the ship went down, which was 

 soon over, and a frost-bitten toe of the sailor Biittner, 

 we had no sickness or other bodily discomfort. We 

 were always actively employed, and daily order and 

 regularity were rigidly kept up. 



Our floe was by degrees thoroughly investigated in 

 every quarter. We cleared roads, and set up marks for 



