in tlie extreme North. , 93 



was heard. In fact the side of the vessel had struck so vio- 

 lently against a block of ice, that a plate of iron had been 

 torn and a leak opened into the coal-hold, by which the water 

 penetrated. This compartment was immediately closed, and 

 all the openings were caulked, in order to prevent the water 

 from penetrating further. But within an hour it had already 

 got between decks, and entered the engine-room. There 

 was much cause to fear that it would extinguish the fire, and 

 then all would have been over. We may easily imagine with 

 what energy all on board worked at the pumps, to escape the 

 death that menaced them. For eleven consecutive hours they 

 never interrupted their work, even to take a little nourishment. 

 There were 6 degrees of cold, and the storm was continually 

 driving over the deck icy water, which drenched the workers. 

 Notwithstanding all their efforts, the water continued to rise, 

 and the danger became more and more pressing. At last the 

 shore of refuge was seen. The captain steered for the nearest 

 land, and at 6 o'clock in the evening reached Amsterdam 

 Island. After many hours of hard labour and fatigue, they 

 succeeded in getting the vessel on its side and in closing the 

 leak, and then pumped out the water that still remained in the 

 hold. 



All further attempts to penetrate towards the north were 

 now given up. It was even out of the question to execute the 

 original plan, and to pass the winter at the Seven Islands, in 

 order to start in sledges towards the pole on the return of 

 spring. The expedition had no dogs, and for such a journey 

 they are indispensable. After trying once more to reach 

 Gillis's land by starting from the south of Spitsbergen, the 

 ' Sophie ' returned to Tromsoe on the 20th of October. 



The Swedish expedition has demonstrated that during the 

 autumn of last year, north of Spitzbergen nearly as far as the 

 82nd degree of latitude, the sea presented free ice, but that, 

 even at that season of the year, it was impossible to approach 

 nearer to the pole. This observation relates to a point situated 

 nearly in the same meridian as that in which the German ex- 

 pedition attained the latitude of 81° 5', and nearly the same 

 also under which Scoresby and Parry advanced, years ago, to 

 81° and 81° 30' of latitude. In none of the attempts made to 

 penetrate northwards by starting from Behring's Straits have 

 the parties got so far as by starting from Spitzbergen : the 

 reason of this is that in the former seas continuous ice is met 

 with at a much earlier season. It is therefore very improba- 

 ble that the pole can be reached in a vessel, even in the most 

 favourable years ; and when M. Lambert, who is now orga- 



Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. Ser. 4. Vpl. iv. 8 



