PREPARATIONS FOR WIKTERING. 327 



mention this fact because we had seen a great number 

 of clucks since we had landed, but only mothers with their 

 little ones, tending them until they were able to undertake 

 the long journey to the south. 



" The next day Mr. Sengstacke, as acting officer of the 

 ship, could not, unfortunately, accompany us. Wagner 

 and I, therefore, started alone in quest of the oxen. As we 

 neared the Hasenberg, we saw our friends, by the help of 

 a pocket telescope, peacefully resting on the snow, at a 

 height of from 1050 to 1200 feet above us, on the side of 

 the mountain looking landwards. We climbed as quickly 

 as possible, and after about an hour's time found our- 

 selves near them. But although we tried on every side 

 to get close to them, we could not succeed without their 

 seeing us. At last we were obliged to agree to try with 

 less circumspection. At first they seemed quite con- 

 tented with their work of chewing, not dreaming 

 of any threatened danger, but suddenly, with a bound, 

 they were oflP. I was so beyond myself at this mishap, 

 that, from sheer desperation, I sent some shots after them, 

 of course without any result. If their great speed and 

 agility had astonished us the day before, our wonder was 

 greater to-day, as we saw them bound up the acclivity, 

 which was as steep as basalt fragments could possibly be. 

 At the utmost, they were not more than three or four 

 minutes reaching the height of 450 feet, which the top o* 

 the mountain appeared to reach. We followed slowly 

 after them, and really the ascent was so difficult that it 

 took us quite half an hour to do what the oxen had done 

 in a few minutes. We found a slight trace of blood, 

 thereby concluding that the chance shot had not been 

 without its effect. Upon reaching the summit, we saw 



