^fO TIDES AND CURRENTS. 



It is quite certain, however, that in the south of Franz- Joseph's 

 Land there is a constant flow of ice from east to west, i.e. from 

 the Siberian sea. If the field of ice which held Lieutenant 

 Weyprecht's ship a prisoner had not attached itself to Wilczek 

 Island, it would have drifted toward the northern end of Spitz- 

 bergen ; he arrives at this conclusion from observing the winds 

 of last winter. 



*' To the influence of winds Lieutenent Weyprecht also ascribes 

 the existence of open water near all west coasts in those regions : 

 he found the main direction of winter-storms in Franz- Joseph's Land 

 to be E.N.E. ; the ice under west coasts is therefore constantly 

 broken up. Lieutenant Payer, on the northernmost point he 

 reached, was stopped from extending his sledge journeys further 

 by open water near a west coast, upon which he was travelling. 



" Also, with regard to quality, the ice in those seas is very 

 variable. While in the summer of 1873 the explorers could not see 

 the end of the field in which their ship was frozen in, they never 

 met fields of such an extent during their retreat ; also, with regard 

 to thickness, there was great variety. In 1873 their field formed 

 an irregular frozen mass, with high ice walls in all directions 

 and immense protuberances ; in 1874 they found much greater 

 evenness, and although thawing had begun so late that they almost 

 perished with thirst during a month and a half, the ice was so 

 thin in some places at the end of July that they often broke 

 through while drawing their sledges. During the drift the whole 

 mass was doubtless packed very closely ; the field, in spite of the 

 constant drifting motion, did not turn round, the bow of the 

 ship pointing always in the same direction ; only in September, 

 when the field was greatly reduced, it began to turn ; in October 

 and November large holes were seen in it in the vicinity of the 

 coast towards the south. 



" Whether Franz-Joseph's Land can again be reached by ship. 

 Lieutenant Weyprecht thinks mainly dependent on favourable 

 conditions of weather and ice ; in any case a very warm summer 

 will be necessary, and then it could be done only late in the 

 year. As to the most favourable point to start from in such an ex- 

 pedition, he indicates 45° East long., as here he found the barrier 

 of ice in 1871 to be 50 German miles more to the north than in 

 60° E. long. 



"In the preliminary expedition of 1871, Lieut. Weyprecht 

 found sure signs of the vicinity of land in 43° E. long, and 

 78° 75' N. lat., and accordingly he proposed this unknown land as 

 the basis for future expeditions sent to reach the pole. The mys- 

 terious Gillis-Land is situated upon 80° E. long. The south coast 

 of Franz-Joseph's Land was seen by Payer at least as far as 50° E. 

 long. Lieut. Weyprecht now thinks he may be permitted to con- 

 clude that these three points are connected. Thus Franz-Joseph's 

 Land would become greatly extended in a western direction. 

 Numerous icebergs floating along the coast seem to confirm this 

 idea, and it is hardly necessary to point out how much the interest 

 in Arctic investigation would be increased by this idea proving a 

 correct one. 



