644 THE GERMAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



west and west winds, thereby driving tlie ice from the 

 land and opening a free passage for us. In the best of 

 spirits we weighed anchor on the morning of the 3rd of 

 August, and steered south in a temperature of 11° to 13° 

 above freezing. After going some distance, as there was 

 apparently an impassable block of ice to the south, we 

 steered westward, and anchored under the coast. One 

 glimpse from the mountains above showed that, as far as 

 the eye could reach, the ice lay firm to the land, and that 

 the entrance to the great Sound at that time was imprac- 

 ticable. Bontekoe Island was enclosed in ice. 



We therefore agreed upon a boat journey along the 

 coast to westward, to investigate what on Clavering's 

 chart was marked as Mackenzie Inlet. The further we 

 advanced southward the greener and more beautiful became 

 the country. Comparing these far stretching valleys and 

 mountain slopes and the in some places luxuriant growth 

 of p-rass and sward with the scant vegetation of Sabine 

 Island, we could scarcely believe that we were not more 

 than one degree of latitude from it. Many herds of reindeer 

 were grazing here, and musk-oxen were by no means rare. 

 At noon the temperature rose to above 54°, and in 

 swampy places were swarms of mosquitos (TipuJa trun- 

 coriim, Meig.). 



Of birds, besides snow-buntings there were some shore- 

 birds, such as Strepsilas 'mterjjres and Tringa maritima. 

 Except a few tent-rings, nothing reminded us of the Esqui-- 

 maux. Farther westward the appearance of the ground 

 changed ; the whole promontory was covered with vege- 

 tation resembling the early spring-time at home when the 

 fresh green is everywhere, but the growth of the plants 

 is still low. Here the di:fferent kinds of knotgrasses ; two 



