132 THE GEEMAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



packed again. At the same time the heavy sea had sub- 

 sided and immediate danger seemed past. Relieved, we 

 partook of something in the house and lay down, after 

 setting a good watch. It was past midnight, when we 

 were roused from our sleep by a cry of terror ; the voice 

 of the sailor on watch exclaiming, " Turn out; we are drift- 

 ing on to a high iceberg !" All rushed to the entrance; 

 dressed we always were ; we had no time to run through 

 the long snow passage,' but burst open the roof, climbed 

 on to the door, and so out. What a sight ! Close 

 upon us, as if hanging over our heads, towered a huge 

 mass of ice, of giant proportions. " It is past," said 

 the captain. Was it really an iceberg, or the mirage of 

 one, or the high coast? We could not decide the 

 question. Owing to the swiftness of the drift, the ghastly 

 object had disappeared the next moment. 



On the 12th and 13th, the weather was good. The 

 boats, now that the masts and sails were thrown out, so 

 that we could move them more easily, were put in order, 

 and the snow shovelled up. On the 12th, we were able 

 to ascertain our latitude by a lunar altitude. We found 

 ourselves in 65° 60'7' JST.L., so that in four days we had 

 drifted fifty-six miles southward. 



It was on the evening of the 14th of January, at ten 

 o'clock ; outside blew a frightful storm ; the watch 

 came in with news that the ice was once more in motion. 

 In thie immediate neighbourhood of the house, om' floe 

 burst ; and the broken ice flew high around us. It was 

 high time to bring the boat Bismarck and the whale- 

 boat more into the middle. This we did ; but they were 

 far too heavily laden to bring further. On this account, 

 furs, sacks of bread, and clothing were taken out and 



