Report on the expedition. 7 
of the “Alabama”? and rammed her hard when lifted and sunk by 
the swell or surf, mostly between three and four feet. However, the 
“Alabama” withstood the severe strain, and when once more released 
from the grip of the ice on Aug. 18th 5 p.m. she had apparently suffered 
no other injury than a split rudder-stem. 
The ice-floes surrounding the ship were all broken to pieces by the 
heavy swell of the last twenty-four hours, and it was difficult to extricate 
the ship. We succeeded however and reached a very large open pool 
beyond the edge of the packice (about 74°47’ М. Lat. and 13°40’ W. Long.). 
We had been beset for thirty-two hours in all and had drifted about 
48 miles to the WSW (true), which gives an hourly rate of about 
1,5 miles in a direction almost perpendicular on the wind. 
Having penetrated this dense outer edge of the packice we got 
splendid conditions and headed towards N W (true), slightly or not 
at all hindered by the ice, which still consisted of very small floes, sepa- 
rated from each other by broad water-lanes. 
The hard work and severe strain had sapped our strength, and the 
crew being too small to work the ship by turns, we were compelled to 
make fast to a floe and get some rest. We went below at 10 p.m. but 
were called again at 1,30 a.m., when а small sealing sloop, the motorship 
“Herkules”, Captain OLSEN from Aalesund, came and made fast along- 
side our own vessel. The captain reported open water as far towards 
land as he had been, and we remained together long enough for us to 
use this last chance of sending letters home. We left each other at 
4,30 a.m. (Aug. 19th), after which we headed a general NW course, still 
through very slack ice. 
Shortly after we had left the “Herkules”, we saw the high moun- 
tains on Pendulum Island at a distance of almost 70 miles. 
At 11 a.m. (about 75°07’ N. Lat. and 15°0’ W. Long) we saw from the 
crow’s nest the first extensive floes stretching away to the west as far 
as the horizon, and we followed the edge of this imposing floe on a straight 
course for 18 miles, when it trended to the north. 
We saw our first and only bear in the packice on this floe, but it 
escaped by taking to the water and swimming so fast that we could 
not follow it, the vessel going full speed with the motor. The water 
was filled with an immense amount of large seals, which continually 
popped their heads out of the water; I once counted more than twenty 
at the same time. 
The ice was still slack, and at 5 p.m. we entered a lake so large that 
we could not see any considerable amount of ice from the crow’s nest, 
and it was not till August 20th at 6a.m. that we once more met ice, 
which compelled us to work carefully. 
Shortly afterwards the open water-lane came to an end, and the 
ice was densely packed towards the north, where Koldewey Island was 
