Arctic and Antarctic Exploration [part i 
The Franz Josef archipelago is divided by the Austria 
Sound of Payer and the British Channel of Jackson 
into three groups, named respectively the Wilczek, Zichy, 
and Alexandra groups. East of Austria Sound there 
are two large islands, Wilczek and Graham Bell, forming 
the eastern limit of the group. The Wullerstorf mountain 
on Wilczek Island rises to a height of 2409 ft. To the 
north of Graham Bell Island are the small islets discovered 
by Nansen, who named them Hoitland. 
West of Austria Sound are the numerous islands, 
large and small, which form the Zichy group; while 
to the north is Kronprinz Rudolf Island with its Midden- 
dorf glacier. The northern point of Kronprinz Rudolf, 
called Cape Fligely, is the northern extremity of the 
whole group 1 . 
On the west side of the British Channel are North- 
brook, Bruce, Isabel, and Bell Islands. At the west end 
of Northbrook Island is Cape Flora, where was " Elm- 
wood," Jackson's winter quarters; and between Mabel 
and Bell Islands is Eira Harbour, where Leigh Smith 
wintered. Westward are the two large islands of Prince 
George and Alexandra. The former, 90 miles long by 
68, is almost covered with glaciers, and forms the western 
shore of the British Channel, with the Armitage, Arthur 
Harmsworth, and Albert Edward Islands to the north. 
On the northern horizon Jackson reported open water, 
which he named Queen Victoria Sea. The westernmost 
island, believed to be separated from Prince George 
Island by Cambridge Bay or Strait, is called Alexandra 
Island, and is also nearly covered with glaciers, but with 
low land along its northern shore. It is 120 miles long 
by some 50 miles wide. 
Payer describes the lands seen from Austria Sound 
as covered with fields of ice, while rows of basaltic 
columns, rising tier above tier, stand out as if crystallized, 
but the natural colour of the rock is not visible, even 
the steepest walls of rock being covered with ice. The 
mountains are table-shaped and rise to heights of from 
1 The northern lands which Payer thought he saw from Cape Fligely, 
and which he named Oscar and Petermann Lands, as well as the north- 
easterly extension of Kronprinz Rudolf Island from Cape Fligely to 
Cape Sherard Osborn, have since been found by Captain Cagm to have 
no existence. 
