462 THE GERMAN AEOTIC EXPEDITION. 



by Payer's hand, wlio at once sketclied the beast as it lay ; 

 and lastly Tramnitz brouglit home a calf and a hare. 



On the 24th, shortly before midnight, Payer, Herzberg, 

 and Wagner started to climb the "black wall," to convert 

 this favourable position of the highest (3675 feet) moun- 

 tain on the island into use for surveying purposes. The 

 way led first through a high-lying valley enclosed between 

 beautiful walls, from the ice basin of which ran slopes of 

 snow at an inclination of 45°, interrupted at intervals by 

 projecting rocks ; then over some syenite gneiss and brown 

 coal sandstone to the summit, after five hours' march. 



This consists of a rugged mass about 155 feet high, in 

 the shape of a dome, surrounded by slender dolerite 

 columns. This sort of stone forms here, and in many 

 other parts of Kuhn Island, a sort of causeway on the 

 mountain ridge, frequently in connexion with dolerite 

 amygdaloia. 



The climbing of this mountain was rendered parti- 

 cularly important by the discovery of a new sound, which 

 seemed to connect the south-west corner of FHgely 

 Fjord with Atdencaple Inlet. The pack-ice outside 

 reached to the outer horizon, though there were several 

 navigable channels to be seen. 



Payer finished his work in six hours; and, after 

 erecting one massive stone cairn, we started for the tent, 

 which we reached in four hours and a half. 



Not far from this now ran a rushing stream down a 

 deep cleft filled with snow. It was the first time since 

 September that we had water without melting, water to 

 the full ; it was also the first time that we were able to 

 wash ourselves, and drink as much as we wanted. 



On the 25th of May the temperature rose to 32.9° Fahr. 



