268 



THE GERMiV^ ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



When our scientific observations were over wc joined the 

 row of water-bearers, forming two hnes along which the 

 full and empty buckets were merrily passed, but it was 

 midniffht before our task was done and we retired to rest. 



At two a.m. we made an attempt to advance, but the 

 fog was still too thick. 



In the night a seal was killed : it was a small young 

 thing and was brought on deck alive, when it looked 



ICE-DKIFT FORMATIONS. 



boldly around and seemed ready to fall upon its enemies. 

 Soon afterwards we obtained a good specimen of the 

 large petrel {Uria brunnichii). Until the 2ord the 

 weather remained fogg}'' : we kept tacking in the loose 

 drift-ice and along the edge of the heavy ice which seemed 

 everywhere closed. To the north of 74° we found it so 

 solid and huge that the captain determined, if he could 

 find an opening, to go south of 74°, instead of beyond it. 

 The 24th July was very cold, and we had a fire in the 

 cabin. Towards evening we again saw the Bienenkorb 

 to the north of us, and in 73" 40' lat. we thought that our 



