AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EXPEDITION (1874) in 



ascended the plateau of Cape Tegetthoff. Those who 

 remained behind spent their time in rubbing their feet 

 with snow. The summit was reached in two hours, and 

 the height was ascertained to be 2600 feet. The weather 

 conditions were not favourable, and the view in conse- 

 quence was limited. Next morning they entered Norden- 

 skjold Fiord, and at noon reached the high, precipitous 

 termination of Sonklar Glacier. In the afternoon, Paver 

 with the Tyrolese ascended Cape Littrow, 2500 feet in 

 height, and early on the morning of the 14th they 

 ascended to the summit of the precipitous face of the 

 Sonklar Glacier. Here the temperature went down to the 

 lowest ever experienced by Payer, about — 59° F. below zero. 

 They had taken some rum with them, and as each took 

 his share, he knelt down and allowed another to shake 

 it into his mouth, without bringing the metal cup in con- 

 tact with the lips. The rum seemed to have lost all its 

 strength and fluidity. It tasted like milk, and its con- 

 sistence was that of oil. The bread was frozen so hard 

 that they feared to break their teeth in biting it, and it 

 brought blood as they ate it. They attempted to smoke 

 cigars, but the icicles on their beards always put them 

 out. The instruments used in surveying seemed to burn 

 when they were touched. Payer found that this extreme 

 cold was depressing in its influence, and enfeebled the 

 powers of the will. At first, cold stimulates to action, 

 but when extreme, this vigour is quickly followed by 

 torpidity ; exertion is soon followed by the desire to rest. 

 Persons exposed to these extremely low temperatures feel 

 as if they were intoxicated : from the stiffness and 

 trembling of their jaws they speak with great effort. 

 When dragging a sledge, their breath streams forth like 

 smoke, which is soon transformed into a mass of needles 

 of ice, almost hiding their mouths from view. Ice becomes 

 so hard that it emits a ringing sound ; wood is as difficult 



