222 THE GERMAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



tlie question rose where should we stow ourselves ? The 

 captain, officers, and Dr. Buchholz found shelter in the 

 cabin, but the men had still to be cared for, as the room 

 for their reception was not yet prepared. We hoped to 

 find a sheltering roof for them in the colony in the mean- 

 time; that was really necessary, as it still rained fast. 

 And now we would at once pay a visit to the governor. 



He received us with cold ceremony, seemed to think it 

 unnecessary to offer us a seat, and allowed himself very 

 unwillingly to be drawn into conversation. This con- 

 versation gave us more the idea of an examination than a 

 conference. To our narrative the governor replied, now 

 and then, by a short but very decided, " That I do 

 not think." The question then followed as to whether 

 we had enough provisions for the homeward journey. 

 Upon the captain's answer, that in that respect we must 

 trust to the goodness of our hospitable friends, and that 

 we hoped to supply ourselves with much that was neces- 

 sary in the colony, his worship merely answered, " If you 

 have good Danish thalers in your pocket, you can buy all 

 you want of me." For manners' sake, and as there were 

 other guests present, we were offered a glass of wine. At 

 length we asked about a lodging for our comrades who 

 were out in the rain. Upon this point, too, the answer 

 was rough and short, " For them I have no room; they 

 must stay in the boats, or raise a tent and stay there." 

 Upon our remarking that in rainy weather a stay in the 

 boats was not exactly the thing, his worship said, half- 

 sneeringly, " If you really have borne so much, a little 

 rain will not kill you." With this answer we left.** 



^ It is a matter of great satisfaction to us that in news received from 

 Greenland from the Inspector- General of the Danish Colony, Herr 



