FURTHER COASTING OF THE GERMANIA. 299 



a cloudy sky. The weather being in other respects fair, 

 the captain ascended a mountain, 1990 feet high, in order 

 to survey the ice ; but so thick a fog prevailed that he 

 was compelled to return on board without having accom- 

 plished his object. The next day the sky cleared, although 

 a fresh breeze still blew from the north, and it became 

 possible to obtain a clear view from the top of the 

 mountain, which, however, was not encouraging for 

 further progress northwards. The line of the land-ice 

 was still almost the same, and what lay between SJiannon 

 Island and the mainland was quite solid. We could see 

 Haystack and the high promontory to the west quite 

 distinctly, but entirely surrounded with solid ice. North 

 and west of Shannon Island immense fields were visible, 

 mostly close packed ; and even the open space between 

 it and the mainland, which a week ago was quite clear, 

 was now filled with large fields. Only in the south-east, 

 and along the coast towards the south, was open water 

 still to be descried. Eastwards, Gael Hamkes Bay 

 appeared to be open, but close round Cape James and the 

 adjacent island the ice was again thick. There was, 

 consequently, little hope this year of penetrating further 

 north. Besides, Captain Koldewey hardly expected that 

 it would be possible for the Hansa to reach the coast, 

 as the pack had apparently again become closer, and the 

 open water under the coast had become narrower. 



In the afternoon the weather cleared, enabling us to 

 make coiTect surveys and soundings of the coast-line. 

 The soundings • gave us a fine and safe anchorage under 

 the lofty mountain, afterwards named Stufenberg. The 

 bottom shelved gradually, and it became possible to 

 anchor in a soft clay in four fathoms close under the 



