280 THE GEllMAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



that, we should with difficulty have been able to pene- 

 trate it. 



Along the coast to the south there was also much open 

 water, and Gael Hamkes Bay appeared to be free from 

 ice. For the next few days scientific work kept us fully 

 employed. In the evening Dr. Pansch unfortunately shot 

 himself in the arm while following a reindeer, and had to 

 be brought on board ; we found, however, that the ball 

 had only gone through the muscles, and that no bone 

 had been injured ; but it healed very slowly, and through 

 the whole of the autumn, Dr. Pansch could take but a 

 small share in all our scientific explorations. 



On the 6th it was slightly foggy, with a south wind ; 

 but the sun seemed bright and clear, and the work 

 suffered no interruption. Lieutenant Payer roamed all 

 over the island, topographically interested as well as bent 

 upon hunting. 



We found many traces of reindeer, and saw a few 

 without being fortunate enough to kill one, though we 

 killed several walrus which stopped in our neighbour- 

 hood. The fat of these creatures was mostly thrown 

 into the coal bunk for fuel, in case the Hansa did not join 

 us again. 



On the 7th we made a boat excursion to the mainland, 

 and took the opportunity of sounding the straits. In the 

 middle, at eighty-one fathoms, it was muddy; towards 

 Sabine Island and Cape Wynn the bottom was analogous 

 to the character of the land. Indeed the soundings along 

 the coast, as far as the Germania sailed, were uniform, 

 and the character of the depths mostly indicated by the 

 land. Shallows in any way dangerous did not exist 

 along the coast that we sailed by. 



