THE GERMAN EXPEDITION (1869) 81 



Sabine Island is one of the Pendulum Islands dis- 

 covered by Clavering in 1823. The Germania finally 

 wintered in a little bay in the south-east corner of the 

 island, after making a trip to the north of Shannon 

 Island. 



Several short sledging expeditions were made before 

 winter set in, but the main expedition to the north was 

 made in the following spring. Musk-oxen were plentiful, 

 and several bears were shot. Deserted Esquimaux huts 

 were found, but no natives were seen by the Expedition. 



The party had several serious adventures with bears. 

 One of them is thus described : — " Theodor Klentzer 

 climbed the Germaniaberg to view the landscape in the 

 increasing midday light. Reaching the top, he seated 

 himself on a rock, and sang a song in the still air. As 

 he looked behind him, however, he saw, not many steps 

 off, a huge bear, which with great gravity was watching 

 the stranger. Now, to our ' Theodor, 1 who was as quiet 

 and decided a man as he was powerful, this would, under 

 other circumstances, have been nothing ; for the bear 

 stood wonderfully well for a shot, and could not easily 

 be missed ; but Klentzer was totally unarmed, not having 

 even a knife. Incredible ! is it not ? But, as Lieutenant 

 Payer writes, i the bears always come when one has 

 forgotten all about them. 1 



" Thus Klentzer saw himself unarmed and alone, far 

 from his companions, and close to the bear. Flight was 

 the only, though a doubtful, chance of safety, and the 

 audacious thought struck him of plunging down the 

 steep side of the glacier ; but he chose the softer side- 

 slope, and began to hurry down the mountain. Upon 

 looking back, after a time, he perceived the great bear 

 trotting behind him at a little distance, like a great dog. 

 Thus they descended the mountain for some time. If 

 Klentzer halted, so did the bear ; when he went on, the 

 6 



