CHAPTER X. 



LONG SLEDGE JOURNEY ALONG THE COAST NOETHWARDS 



DISCOVERY OF KING WILLIAM's ISLAND — MARCH 8tH TO 



APRIL 27Tn, 1870.' 



Object and result of these sledge journeys.— Equipment and clothing. — 

 Tent. — Departure. — Provisions. — Discipline on the march. — Hard- 

 ships. — Refraction. — Parhelia. — Difficulties of sledge-dragging. — 

 Tent-pitching. — Snow-blindness. — Return to the ship. — Second 

 start. — Return of the companiou sledge. — Hochstetter's Fore- 

 land. — Geological excursion. — Cape Oswald Heer. — Ascent of the 

 Haystack. — Bear-hunting. — Reaching of 76° N. Lat. — Cape Carl 

 Ritter. — Remains of Esquimaux summer-huts. — Cape Peschel. — 

 Roon Bay. — Icebergs. — The Devil's Cape. — Parhelia in Roon 

 Bay. — Desert of snow. — Eastern Island. — Dove Bay. — Mountain- 

 chain and glaciers on the west of it. — Erratic blocks on Eastern 

 Island. — Cape Heligoland. — Storm Bay. — Passion-week. — Violent 

 storm. — 77° N. Lat. passed. — Virgin soil. — Erection of a cairn on 

 the northernmost point reached. — Depositing a document therein. — 

 Want of necessaries. — Want remedied by killing two musk-oxen. — 

 Snow-storm. — The midnight sun. — Difficulties of Arctic sledgo 

 journeys. — Geological formation of the Island at Cape Peschel. — 

 Peter Ellinger taken ill. — Payer and Ellinger on forwards. — First 

 salutation of spring. — Return to the ship. — Results of the journey. 



Sledge journeys, particularly in spring-time, are attended 

 by great expenditure of strength and troubles of all kinds. 

 A day's progress by ship would take a week in a sledge ; 

 indeed, sometimes with almost superhuman strength, 



' By Lieut. Payer. 



