42G THE GERMAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



US for a week, providing us with food, and after laying a 

 depot on the east coast of Hoclistetter's Promontory, was 

 to return to the ship. 



"We judged that our journey would last fifty or sixty 

 days. The first day our advance was rendered so difii- 

 cult by the hard, rough, sharp-edged snow-drifts, that we 

 could only get the sledges along half laden, thus having 

 to go over the road three times, and we only reached the 

 north end of Sabine Island. 



The next day, finding the obstacles insurmountable, 

 we thought to better ourselves by enlarging the tent, in 

 spite of the fearful cold on the open field, and taking 

 eight men with us instead of six, the other two returning 

 to the ship ; but even up to the 10th of March no change 

 for the better set in. 



Only with great trouble and in constant danger of 

 destruction could we get the sledge over the masses of 

 snow : signs of a heavy storm were also visible ; so, not 

 to expend our time and strength in vain, we determined 

 to return to the ship, and await a more favourable oppor- 

 tunity for our undertaking. Upon reaching it, we saw 

 a hunter chasing a bear, which, with the agility of a cat, 

 was climbing the slopes of Germania mountain. He and 

 his companion had besieged the ship for some time. 



On the 12th of March we fetched back the sledge fi:'om 

 the north end of Sabine Island, and on this occasion 

 erected a provision depot. The dreadful snow-storm of 

 the next few days made us bewail the loss of time, but 

 showed us how fruitless the continuation of our journey 

 would have been. 



At last, on the 24th of March, circumstances had, we 

 thought, taken a more favourable turn ; so we left the 



