FIRST SIGHT OP LAND. 278 



floes, when in a north-westerly direction we found com- 

 paratively open water ; and after making about sixteen 

 nautical miles, at one a.m. on the 29th saw land dis- 

 tinctly. From our position, this must have been Cape 

 Broer Ruys. By four a.m., we had advanced so far, that 

 only to the east did there seem to be any loose ice ; we 

 therefore stopped at a brash to fill our boiler with fresh 

 water, and wait for a change. The only living thing we 

 were likely to see here was a bear; but although our 

 hunters looked eagerly around, his shining yellow coat 

 was nowhere to be seen. 



As the atmosphere was so clear in the morning, we 

 made some observations on the degrees of the sun's 

 heat. A blackened-bulb thermometer rose to nearly 

 99.50° Fahr. A common instrument, just above the 

 snow, showed 50° Fahr. 



On the 29th of July, our observations at noon gave 

 our position as 73° 2' N. Lat., and 16° 19' W. Long., 

 which compared with the log reckoning, showed us to 

 have made twenty-seven nautical miles more southwards 

 in two days' work. This we partly attributed to the 

 north wind, which had caused a rapid drift of ice. 



The attempts of the last few days showed that in 

 this latitude it was impossible to get through ; so, after 

 being driven back to 73°, the captain determined to keep 

 clear of the ice and to try again in 74°, as he thought 

 that the north wind might have made an opening. 

 Accordingly we steamed eastward, partly through thick 

 drifting ice. Here we saw two ships, which turned out 

 to be the Bienenkorb and the Hudson ; we advanced to 

 meet the former, and Captain Hagen and Dr. Dorst 

 came on board. The captain was disheartened at not 



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