240 THE GERMAN AKCTIC EXPEDITION. 



is difficult enough. Pastor Anton had greeted all belong- 

 ing to us on board heartily, as already said, and most 

 kindly offered his help in any way that could be useful. 

 We were to ask him for anything we wanted ; he would 

 give it willingly. These offers we received with the 

 warmest thanks, but we were nevertheless able to decline 

 them, as we were already provided with all that was 

 most necessary. He invited us to his house for the 

 afternoon, where we passed some hours chatting pleasantly 

 with the chief people of Julianeshaab. It was quite a 

 political chat, and interested us greatly. The Danish 

 gentlemen could not help showing how deeply they still 

 felt the loss- of Schleswig and Holstein, and made no 

 secret of their hope that France would take upon herself 

 the office of avenger. Greatly astonished were they 

 when I informed them that we Germans in Austria had 

 long since calmed ourselves with regard to the events of 

 I8G65 and that no sensible man amongst us would ever, 

 dream of entering into an alliance with France against 

 Germany. Who thought then that the denouement was 

 so near ? that at home things were happening, which in 

 a short time would lead to war, — to a war from which 

 Germany would, in an unlooked-for manner, come forth 

 united, conqueror, and mighty, and France punished, 

 crushed, and humbled ! 



We sat long with the pastor. It was homelike and 

 comfortable there ; and in his little study there came 

 over me once more a great longing for home. Without 

 raged a violent storm from the south-east; we could 

 scarcely stand; though it was clear, and the air, for 

 Greenland, particularly warm. The thermometer showed 

 27° Fahr. This temperature lasted the whole night. 



