MR. B. LEIGH SMITH’S ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 463 
snowfields, with bluff, black headlands on the southern exposures, whereon was 
vegetation. A large quantity of Arctic flowers and other specimens was col- 
lected and brought home. On one of these islands close to the harbor were hills 
1200 feet above the level of the sea, but large tracts of flats were seen stretching 
from the foot of the hills. On one of these islands they caught the two bears 
which, as mentioned above, were sent to the Zodiogical Gardens. The 
final trip from Eira Harbor was made on August 24, and it was on that day 
that they reached the most northerly point yet attained in that direction—8o zo 
north latitude, and about 4o east longitude. From that point they could see 
land to the northwest, some 40 miles off, and it was supposed that this was but a 
continuance of the same coast line. ‘This they intended to follow up, but they 
had again to give up the attempt in consequence of the ice driving along the 
shore and carrying the ship along with it. Mr. Leigh Smith’s opinion is that, 
whether this land extends in a continuous line northwest or forms the outline of 
separate islands, it forms a very good basis whence to prosecute researches further 
northward. When they found further progress impossible they returned, and 
experienced very bad weather. In one of the deep bays which indent the coast 
they sighted two Greenland whales, in about the same latitude as the furthest 
north point attained. They made for Eira Harbor again, but found it full of 
louse ice. Proceeding eastward, they anchored in a small bay to the west of 
‘Barents Hook. From that point they steamed south a little to clear a large quan- 
tity of ice that had come out of the fjords, and on the 30th of August they found 
themselves close to Cape Tegetthoff, which had been discovered by the Austrian 
expedition in 1873. In that expedition their vessel, the Tegetthoff, was aban- 
doned, and the explorers persevered in their mission by means of sledges; but 
though they succeeded in establishing the existence of the land, they had to 
return and make for Nova Zembla in a boat. Mr. Smith made a search for any 
traces of the abandoned vessel, but found nothing except a ‘‘can” on Wilczek 
Island. They found fast ice between Hall Island and Salm Island, and also 
between the latter island and Lamont Island, so that there was no means of getting 
out to the east or northeast, and as the ice was coming down they resolved to try 
to cut across by Spitzbergen to Wiches Land, or, as otherwise called, King 
Charles Land. In this endeavor their common enemy, the ice, confronted them 
and compelled them to alter their course. They sailed close to the edge of 
the ice as far as 75% north and 46% east before they could get west. They 
reached Hope Island on September 10, and again endeavored to work northward 
up the east coast of Spitzbergen, but on the 11th the weather became very rough, 
~and for three days the ship was tossed about in strong gales. They encountered 
“numerous small icebergs. Seeing that nothing could be done in this direction— 
a pack of ice being discernible in the distance—they took a westerly course until 
they sighted the South Cape, and then steamed up Storfjord and anchored on the 
~x7th near Ginevra Bay. From a hill here they could see the sea to the eastward 
awas clear of block ice, although icebergs could be seen floating about. From 
