332 THE GERMAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



boat was now quite at an end. It was on this Sunday 

 (lOtli), tlie same day on which the Hansa, on the floe 

 120 miles further south, found that she was frozen in ; 

 but what a difference in circumstances there and here ! 



It was interesting for us at this time to observe the 

 life and ways of some of those birds of passage whose 

 existence depends upon open water. There were from 

 thirteen to fifteen eider-ducks in the harbour, four of which 

 were old ones, swimming in two groups. During the follow- 

 ing days we had frequent opportunities, in the open fissures 

 and holes at the entrance of the creek, particularly near 

 the peninsula, where the observatory stood, to watch the 

 short flights of these birds. They also flew round the 

 ship and the bay, and then disappeared. On the 20th 

 these water-holes had disappeared, and with them the 

 ducks. Only one young thing was left behind, which 

 timidly waddled by on the slippery ice, and dead-tired 

 was at last shot out of pity. When later, from the 

 cutting through of the ship on the 24th, a channel of 

 open water was formed, ducks again appeared, and 

 several were killed. The attempt to keep one alive on 

 board did not, however, succeed. 



As m the course of the 21st the weather cleared, and 

 our comrades had been absent seven days, we began to 

 be uneasy about them ; we anticipated all sorts of mis- 

 haps, and finally determined to go and meet them the 

 next day with some provisions. 



On the 22nd, therefore, Mr. Sengstacke started early 

 with two men, to beat the south side of the island. For 

 the first time they succeeded in getting to land on foot 

 across the ice, it having frozen so sharply the last few 

 nights. Our uneasiness was fortunately quite unneces- 



