322 TITE GEUMAN AECTIG EXPEDITTON. 



same time becoming damp and inclement. The sky was 

 cloudy, and in the afternoon there was a fall of snow, 

 though without the customary accompaniment of wind. 

 Meteorological observations on board indicated at the 

 same time a storm from the north, which broke over 

 Sabine Island and its neighbourhood on the afternoon 

 of .the 18th and the night of the 19th. The interior of 

 the Fjord is evidently not so exposed to the devastation 

 of the northern storms, which sweep the outer coast for 

 nine months in the year, as it is to the deep loose snow 

 which in the spring efifectually prevents any advance into 

 it. Nearly everywhere on the outer coast the snow was 

 hard and firm. 



On the morning of the 19th a herd of musk-oxen 

 approached to within about sixty paces of us, while some 

 reindeer came very near us. We left them unharmed 

 however, as we still had a store of that killed two days 

 before. As we were starting on our way (14° Fahr.), 

 Payer noticed a stone of strikingly light colour, which, 

 on the south side of Kuhn Island, formed solid over- 

 hanging crystals, to at least 2000 feet high. He therefore 

 left the sledge, and to his great astonishment stumbled 

 upon an enormous layer of coal, alternating with sand- 

 stone ; this was most likely Lias coal, from three-quarters 

 to eighteen inches thick. The fact that Payer was not 

 armed, and that therefore — as he was heavily laden with 

 coal and other minerals — he must be careful in this 

 neighbourhood so overrun with bears, and had better 

 return to the sledge, prevented any further investigation 

 for the moment, of this interesting geological discovery. 



In the afternoon we reached Cape Hamburg (eight 

 miles and a half). The following morning (20th Sep- 



