ii4 THE SIEGE OF THE NORTH POLE 



Land. Here Payer writes : " At this latitude it seemed 

 as if Wilczek Land suddenly terminated, but when the 

 sun scattered the driving mist we saw the glittering 

 ranges of its enormous glaciers — the Dove Glaciers — 

 shining down on us. Towards the north-east we could 

 trace land trending to a cape lying in the grey distance 

 — Cape Buda Pesth, as it was afterwards caned." This 

 passage was destined to form a great puzzle to Nansen 

 in later years. It is evident, however, that the atmospheric 

 conditions were not favourable for accurate observations, 

 and on his map Payer shows that this part of the coast- 

 line was considered doubtful. 



As it appeared to Payer that Crown-Prince Rudolfs 

 Land and Karl Alexander's Land formed a continuous 

 whole, and therefore barred the way to the north, he 

 diverged into Rawlinson Sound. The track lay between 

 countless hummocks, some of which Payer estimated to 

 be 40 feet high. The advance now became one continual 

 zigzag. On the 9th April an iceberg was ascended from 

 which it was seen that the hummocks in Rawlinson Sound 

 appeared to stretch on without end. The course was 

 therefore altered to a north-westerly direction in order 

 to come under Crown-Prince Rudolfs Land, but the 

 character of the ice still remained unchanged, and Payer 

 was compelled to make for Hohenlohe Island in the 

 west, where he decided to divide the expedition into two 

 parties. 



Payer determined that he, with Orel, Zaninovich, and 

 Klotz, should push on with the dog-sledge, and that the 

 other three men should remain behind at Cape Schrotter. 

 Payer explained the plan he meant to follow, and stated 

 that he should be absent from five to eight days, but 

 that if he should not return within fifteen days they 

 were to march back to the ship with the sledge. A 

 pocket-compass, a watch, an aneroid barometer, and a 



