ch. xxx] The East Coast of Greenland 283 
and full knowledge of all that has gone before which 
alone can secure great results; nevertheless, all being 
quite new to the work, the journey was highly creditable, 
as the ice surface was very bad. Captain Koldewey 
and Lieutenant Payer were the leaders, and starting on 
the 24th March they reached their furthest point in 77 0 N. 
on the 15th April. A lofty cape in 76 0 47' N. was named 
Cape Bismarck. Then, as there were no depots and 
provisions were running short, the return journey was 
commenced, and they reached the ship on the 27th April. 
The distance covered, there and back, was about 300 miles 
and took 35 days, during eight of which they were confined 
to the tent by gales. Omitting these, their rate was 
a little over ten miles a day. Four other short sledge 
journeys were made. As soon as the vessel was freed 
from her winter quarters, exploration was commenced 
along the coast and a branching fjord was discovered 
* n 73° *5' N. extending far into the interior of Greenland. 
It received the name "Franz Josef." Along its shores 
two peaks, 7218 and 11,417 feet high respectively, were 
named after Petermann and Payer. The scenery was 
described as magnificent, exceeding in beauty, says Payer, 
anything to be seen in the Alps. After the discovery of 
this large fjord the Germania returned to Bremen in 
September, 1870. 
Some years before, Messrs Anthony Gibbs & Co. em- 
ployed Mr T. W. Tayler, a chemist and an enthusiast who 
believed in the lost colony, to form a settlement on the 
east coast in 63 0 N. He made two attempts, in 1863 and 
1864. The failure to penetrate through the ice in 1863 
was attributed to the vessels being unsuitable. In 1864 
Mr Tayler had the Erik whaler of 412 tons, a well-fortified 
ship. She forced her way through the ice for some 
distance, but eventually had to give up the attempt and 
the project was abandoned. 
About 1870 and following years eight British whalers 
frequented the Spitsbergen seas, and occasionally ap- 
proached the east coast of Greenland. The most enter- 
prising whaling captains on this side were David Gray in 
the Eclipse of 295 tons, and his brother John Gray in the 
Hope of 350 tons; both steamers built by Messrs Hall 
of Aberdeen. The Active 380 tons, Jan May en 337, 
