520 THE GERMAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



found amongst the rocks the half of a Kajak oar quite 

 bleached. 



About three o'clock we continued our way ; Dr. Pansch, 

 Lieutenant Payer, and P. Ellinger going along the shore, 

 and the rest in the boat to Gael Hamkes Bay. For the 

 first time the bank showed a fine sandy open shore, and 

 at the tide mark lay a number of dried marine plants. 

 About ten or twenty steps from this broad sandy shore, 

 was a beautiful green band of meadow-land, the Pedicu- 

 laris Jiirs'uta being particularly luxuriant. 



Marching around several bays, we halted on a point of 

 rock projecting far into the sea, to wait for the boats. 

 We then steered westwards, the steep mountains of 

 Clavering Island coming nearer and nearer. Here we 

 saw a young reindeer peeping from behind a hillock, not 

 far from the shore. 



The number of ice-floes increased considerably, and 

 though not exactly in our way, we were obliged to go out 

 of our course to avoid them. Towards the middle of 

 the bay the ice became denser, frequently assuming fan- 

 tastical forms. 



The further we advanced, the more unlikely it seemed 

 that we could reach Clavering Island with the boat ; but 

 by keeping along the bank we constantly came upon open 

 channels; and thus about evening time, reached a low 

 promontory opposite Cape Mary, the most easterly point 

 of Clavering Island. The straits, to our great joy, were 

 almost free from ice; as there was a calm, the steep 

 mountains rose from a mirrored surface, over which 

 occasionally sped a diver or a pair of ducks. It was the 

 most perfect summer picture of a beautiful northern 

 Fjord seen for the first time. 



