O30 THE GERMAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



The Captain, Dr. Borgcn, and Lieutenant Payer, 

 climbed to the highest point of the island. Unfortu- 

 nately, a fog rose from the north, thus debarring all 

 prospect. The Tellplatte, 650 feet high, was soon 

 covered ; one thing we were just able to perceive, 

 namely, that to the east of Cape Philip Broke there 

 was much open water. The fog continued to roll south- 

 wards, and upon returning on board at three a.m. on the 

 23rd, Pendulum Island was invisible, we therefore lay 

 .at anchor the whole day. Dr. Pansch and Dr. Copeland 

 employed the time in exploring the Esquimaux huts, and 

 were well rewarded for their trouble. 



The Flora could only be investigated near the huts. 

 There was nothing remarkable to be found. As in the 

 spring, there were the luxuriant PoJemonimn humile 

 (Willd.), and the yellow crowfoot {Ranunculus nivoMs, L.), 

 and in dry places the lousewort {Pedicularis Jdrsufa^ L.). 



We also collected some fine blooming specimens of the 

 willow, but, on the whole, blooming time was over. 

 Vegetation had already partly assumed its autumn tints. 

 We had a good opportunity of noting here how little 

 chq^nge takes place in the course of time. Spots where 

 the autumn before we had placed stones or removed 

 them were still unchanged, as if but a few days had 

 elapsed since we had been there. This is important, as 

 it confirms the fact that many years must have passed 

 since the Esquimaux huts had been forsaken. 



On the morning of the 24th of August the fog rolled 

 more eastward, and coast and island once more made 

 their appearance. Steam was at once got up and the 

 anchor weighed, but it was not to be done so easily; 

 a large ice-field, several miles in diameter, had jammed 



