rOST NULILA PIICEBUS. 157 



stockings. The island showed no signs of vegetation, fell 

 steep and often perpendicularly down, and had many 

 fissures and gaps. The southern part seemed more 

 accessible, but we had to hurry our return, and Avero 

 therefore obhged to give up further investigation." 

 Heine further reports, as we were led to expect from 

 Graah's observations, that a small strip of water ran along 

 the land, formed by the torrents falling from the coast. 

 On this swam a few divers. They succeeded in passing 

 this water by standing on a floe, and by means of the 

 boat-hooks pushed themselves from one piece of ice to 

 the other. 



The desert, rocky Island of Illuidlek is about ten nau- 

 tical miles in circumference. They landed on the north- 

 east side at a spot from which, by the help of the boats, 

 they could easily reach the south coast, where we might 

 hope to find protection from the wind and ice drift. There 

 also seemed a prospect of increasing our provisions by 

 hunting sea-birds. This, pn the whole favourable report, 

 was given in the captain's boat, in the presence of the 

 officers and Dr. Laube, and it served to strengthen 

 our resolution to try with all our might for a temporary 

 refuge on this lonely island. No sooner said than 

 done. As the warmth of the sun was already very 

 fatiguing when we were at work, and as in addition to 

 that most of us had not yet recovered from snow- 

 blindness, we agreed, weather permitting, to drag the 

 boats by night and rest by day. In this way we hoped 

 to be on land in eight days. Observations of the 24th 

 of May gave 60° 59.8' N.L. 



Double altitude of the sun's limb, 86° 25' 40". 

 Chronometer, 12h. 21m. 15s. p.m. ; reading of the 



