130KGEN CAIIEIED Ol'F BY A BEAK. 407 



The next few days passed rapidly in preparations for 

 our sledge jonrney to the north, which was settled for the 

 7th of March. The provisions were stowed in sacks, the 

 tent made ready, and the sledge laden for a trial trip, 

 which resulted satisfactorily, and the sledge-party photo- 

 graphed in different groups, but with indifferent success. 

 During this time the usual scientific work was continued; 

 on the 3rd of March the astronomers measured the base for 

 their geodetical observations, and on the 4th a magnetic 

 meeting was held. On March 6tli an incident occurred 

 which threw everything else into the shade. 



"We were sitting (writes Lieut. Payer) fortunately silent 

 in the cabin, when Koldewey suddenly heard a faint cry 

 for help. We all hurriedly tumbled up the companion- 

 ladder to the deck, when an exclamation from Borgen, ' A 

 bear is carrying me oflP! ' struck painfully on our ears. 



" It was quite dark ; we could scarcely see anything, but 

 we made directly for the quarter whence the cry pro- 

 ceeded, armed with poles, weapons, &c., over hummocks 

 and drifts, when an alarm-shot, which we fired in the air, 

 seemed to make some little impression, as the bear 

 dropped his prey, and ran forward a few paces. He 

 turned again, however, dragging his victim over the broken 

 shore-ice, close to a field which stretched in a southerly 

 direction. All depended upon our coming up with him 

 before he should reach this field, as he would carry his 

 prey over the open plain with the speed of a horse, aud 

 thus escape. We succeeded. The bear turned upon us 

 for a moment, and then, scared by our continuous fire, let 

 fall his prey. 



" We lifted our poor comrade up on to the ice, to bear 

 liini to his cabin — a task which was rendered somewhat 



