IN OPEN SEA. 571 



and in a short time we glided into open water, where the 

 long-missed swell of the Atlantic greeted us. What 

 cared we now for the threatening white fog which sur- 

 rounded us in thick masses, or for the ice-blocks we met, 

 or even for the storms that still awaited us ? We were in 

 open water, had plenty of sea-room, and that is all a 

 sailor needs. " Breakers ahead !" sounded from the bow. 

 The ship was running upon an ice-bank lying almost 

 before us, and only by the prompt watchfulness of the man 

 at the wheel, who threw the helm hard a-starboard, did 

 we avoid running aground. We now steered north-west, 

 so as to find a more open spot to windward over the 

 starboard bow by which to clear the ice. 



A heavy sea raised by the last storm met us, setting all 

 the ice-blocks through which the ship had to pass in 

 dangerous motion. But all went well. 



An hour more, and the last bit of ice had disappeared 

 in the fog. In a south-easterly course we now made 

 straight for the Weser. "My watch is over!" was a 

 saying of old Scoresby's, when he was free of the Green- 

 land ice, and found himself in open sea. " My watch is 

 over !" exclaimed Captain Koldewey to Mr. Sengstacke, 

 as he retired to his cabin with a feeling of security that 

 he had not enjoyed for many a day. 



Now we were going towards our dear home, and 

 nothing stood in the way of our hope of soon reaching it. 

 For the first time a German expedition, under the auspices 

 of the black, white, and red flag, had visited, for a scientific 

 object, the least known region of the globe, and had there 

 sought to solve some scientific problems ; we might cer- 

 tainly maintain, not quite without success. The .North 

 Pole we had not certainly discovered, and the secret of the 



