“3. It appears desirable, and, so far as scientific preparations are concerned, possible, to commence these Arctic expeditions in 1877.”

“4. The Commission is convinced that an exploration of the Arctic regions, based on such principles, will furnish valuable results, even if limited to the region between Greenland and Spitzbergen; but it is also of opinion, that an exhaustive solution of the problems to be solved can only be expected when exploration is extended over the whole Arctic zone, and when other countries take their share in the undertaking.

“The Commission recommends, therefore, that the principles adopted for the German undertaking be commended to the governments of the states which take interest in Arctic inquiry, in order to establish, if possible, a complete circle of observing stations in the Arctic zones.”

Thus we are brought face to face with two different purposes, which may be termed, respectively, the romantic and the scientific purposes of Arctic discovery. To the former the attainment of the Pole has hitherto been the all in all of a geographical discovery. “The Pole impracticable,” telegraphed by Captain Nares, as the result of the expedition which has returned baffled to our shores, is a stern reproof to all who would still advocate a dash at the Pole as the worthiest purpose of Arctic discovery. Aims and endeavours not so glaring, nor appealing in the same degree to the love of the marvellous, are suggested in the sagacious proposals of Lieutenant Weyprecht, to whom science will not refuse her calmer and more measured respect, and in whom, as Captain of the Tegetthoff, all who love deeds of daring and energy will find a congenial spirit.

To Lieutenant Payer has fallen the distinguished honour of being not only the colleague in command and friend of Weyprecht, but the historian of their common sufferings and common glory in an enterprise, the fame of which the world, we believe, will not willingly let die.

CONTENTS.

[INTRODUCTION.]
CHAPTER I.
THE FROZEN OCEAN[page 1-10]
1. The ice-sheet of the Arctic region.—2. “Leads” and “ice-holes” defined.—3. Pack-ice and drift-ice.—4, 5, 6. Various designations of ice-forms.—7. Estimate of the thickness of ice.—8. Rate of its formation.—9. Old ice.—10, 11. Characteristics of young ice.—12. Results of the unrest in Arctic seas.—13. The snow-sheet described.—14. Colour of field-ice.—15. Characteristics of sea-ice.—16. Specific gravity of ice.—17. Irregularity of the forms of ice.—18. Temperature of the Arctic Sea.—19. Noise caused by disruption.—20. The ice-blink.—21. The water-sky.—22. Evaporation.—23. Calmness of the sea beneath the ice.—24. Overturning of icebergs.—25. Change of the sea’s colour near ice.—26. Icebergs described.—27. Noise caused by the overturning of icebergs.
CHAPTER II.
NAVIGATION IN THE FROZEN OCEAN[page 11-19]
1. Preparatory study necessary for Polar navigators.—2. Choice of a favourable year necessary.—3. Navigation in coast-water recommended.—4. Failure often caused by leaving the coast-water.—5. Distance possible to accomplish in one summer.—6. The best time of year.—7. Steam-power recommended.—8. The rate of speed.—9. The build of Arctic ships.—10. Tactics of a ship in the ice.—11. Small vessels preferred.—12. Iron ships not suitable.—13. Two vessels to be employed.—14. “Besetment” and how to avoid it.—15. The use of a balloon recommended.—16. The “crow’s-nest.”—17. Winds and calms.—18. A winter harbour or “dock.”
CHAPTER III.
THE PENETRATION OF THE REGIONS WITHIN THE POLAR CIRCLE; THE PERIOD OF THE NORTH-WEST AND NORTH-EAST PASSAGES[page 20-24]
1. The Pole.—2. Old fancy of reaching India through the ice.—3, 4, 5. The first Polar navigators.—6-10. The North-West and North-East Passages.—11. Strange tales of the old discoverers.—12. The Polar world becomes the object of scientific investigation.—13. M’Clintock perfects the art of sledging.
CHAPTER IV.
THE INNER POLAR SEA[page 25-31]
1. The Arctic Sea compared to the glaciers of the Alps.—2, 3. Old fancies respecting an Inner Polar Sea.—4. Improbability of such a sea existing.—5. Influence of the Gulf Stream.—6. The Polynjii seen by Wrangel.—7. State of the ice in different years as found by various expeditions.—8. Probability that the most northerly regions do not differ from those already discovered.—9. Improbability that the Pole can be reached by a ship.—10. The English expedition to penetrate Smith’s Sound.
CHAPTER V.
THE FUTURE OF THE POLAR QUESTION[page 32-36]
1. Material advantage from Arctic voyages.—2. The commercial value of the North-West and North-East Passages no longer thought of.—3. The Polar question a problem of science.—4. The increase of the safety and convenience with which the ice-navigation is now performed.—5. The means of conducting Polar expeditions perfected.—6. Sledge expeditions afford the chief hope of success.—7. Not much more to be expected from ships.—8. The route by Smith’s Sound recommended.—9. The English expedition.—10. Lieutenant Weyprecht’s plan for united scientific investigation.
CHAPTER VI.
POLAR EQUIPMENTS[page 37-46]
1. Past experience to be consulted.—2. The commander.—3. Selection of the crew.—4. Discipline and pay.—5. The best men to be obtained.—6. Special qualifications.—7. The medical man.—8. An artist or photographer desirable.—9. Old ideas of equipment.—10. The greatest possible comfort necessary.—11. A table of the sizes of the vessels in various expeditions.—12. The best kind of ships.—13. The allowance of food.—14. Spirituous liquors.—15. The ship becomes a house in the winter.—16. The quarters of the men.—17. Lamps and candles.—18. Clothing of the crew.—19. Instruments and ammunition.—20. The cost of different expeditions.
The Pioneer Voyage of the Isbjörn[page 49-69]
1. A pioneer expedition resolved on.—2, 3. Route to the east of Spitzbergen.—4. The Isbjörn chartered for the service.—5. Attempts to gain information on the probable state of the ice.—6. An unfavourable ice-year predicted.—7. The expedition leaves Tromsoe.—8. The coast of Norway described.—9. The Isbjörn in the ice.—10. Seeking a harbour.—11. Cape Look-out.—12. Two ships met with.—13. In the ice.—14. The return to the ice-barrier.—15. The geological formation of the western coast.—16. Arrive at Hope Island.—17. Ice disappeared.—18. Whales abound.—19. Splendid effects of colour.—20. In a sea.—21. A run along the west coast of Novaya Zemlya.—22. Storms compel us to keep to sea.—23. Object of the voyage.—24. The Austro-Hungarian Expedition of 1872.-25. The plan of the Austro-Hungarian Expedition.
[VOYAGE OF THE “TEGETTHOFF.”]
CHAPTER I.
FROM BREMERHAVEN TO TROMSOE[page 73-77]
1. The qualities requisite for a Polar navigator.—2. The crew of the Tegetthoff—3. The Tegetthoff lifts her anchor.—4. The vessel.—5. Crossing the sea.—6. The languages spoken on board the Tegetthoff.—7. The officers and crew of the Tegetthoff.—8. Arrive at Tromsoe.—9. The first and last voyage of the Tegetthoff begins.
CHAPTER II.
ON THE FROZEN OCEAN[page 78-92]
1. Within the frozen ocean.—2. The sea of Novaya Zemlya.—3. We continue our course by steam.—4. The decay of ice.—5. Effects of light.—6. We meet the Isbjörn.—8-10. The Barentz Islands described by Professor Höfer.—11. Preparations for future contests with the ice.—12. Inclosed in the land-ice.—13. We celebrate the birthday of Francis Joseph I.—14. Our prospects do not improve.—15. The Tegetthoff finally beset.
CHAPTER III.
DRIFTING IN THE NOVAYA ZEMLYA SEAS[page 93-100]
1. Winter begins.—2. The impossibility of reaching the coast of Siberia.—3. Unsuccessful efforts to get free.—4. The name-day of the Emperor Francis Joseph I.—5. Encounters with polar bears.—6. A “snow-finch” visits the ship.—7. Novaya Zemlya recedes gradually from our gaze.
CHAPTER IV.
THE “TEGETTHOFF” FAST BESET IN THE ICE[page 101-113]
1. Signs indicate the insecurity of our position.—2. A dreadful Sunday.—3. We make ready to abandon the ship.—4. The dogs.—5. We return to the ship.—6. We drift in the Frozen Sea.—7. Our alarms.—8. Our constant state of readiness to meet destruction.
CHAPTER V.
OUR FIRST WINTER (1872) IN THE ICE[page 114-125]
1. Surrounded by deep twilight.—2. Our preparations for winter.—3. The difficulty of sledge-travelling.—4. Sumbu mistaken for a fox—5. The rending of the ice.—6. Our short expeditions.—7. The continual threatening of the ice.—8. A bear shot.—9. The effect of the long Polar night.—10. The middle of the long night.—11. Christmas feasts.—12. The first hour of the new year.—13. The dogs allowed in the cabin.—14. Carlsen writes in the log-book.
CHAPTER VI.
LIFE ON BOARD THE “TEGETTHOFF”[page 126-138]
1. The Tegetthoff covered with snow.—2. The excessive condensation of moisture.—3. The destruction of the snow wall.—4. The removal of the tent roof.—5. The stove of Meidingen of Carlsruhe.—6. The arrangements of the officers’ mess-room.—7. Those who occupied the mess-room.—8. Our meals.—9. Divine service on deck.—10. After dinner.—11. The monotony of our life.—12. After supper.—13. Middendorf contrasting the influence of climate on men.—14. Our sanitary condition.—15. Baths.—16. Passages from my journal.—17. A school instituted.
CHAPTER VII.
ICE-PRESSURES[page 139-142]
1. Preparations for leaving the ship.—2. Extracts from journal.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE WANE OF THE LONG POLAR NIGHT[page 143-148]
1. The light increases.—2. A bear hunt.—3. Table of the course of the Tegetthoff.—4. Throw out bottles inclosing an account of the events of the expedition.
CHAPTER IX.
THE RETURN OF LIGHT.—THE SPRING OF 1873[page 149-161]
1. The sunrise.—2. Our first look at each other.—3. Visits from bears.—4. The carnival.—5. Continual fall of snow.—6. Return of birds.—7. Ill health of Dr. Kepes.—8. Bear shot.—9. A road constructed.—10. Reading without artificial light.—11. Accumulation of rubbish round the ship.—12. Begin to dig out the ship.—13. Surprised by bears.—14. Our hopes to reach Siberia.—15. Snow continues to fall.—16. Visited by birds.—17. The steam machinery put in working order.—18. A partial eclipse of the sun.—19. Birth of four Newfoundland puppies.
CHAPTER X.
THE SUMMER OF 1873[page 162-172]
1. Decay of the walls of the ice.—2. The blaze of light on clear days.—3. Our constant digging.—4. Continual sinking of the ship.—5. Nothing but ice.—6. Short expeditions.—7. Feast on the birthday of the Emperor.—8. Table showing our change of place.—9. Some paragraphs from the Admiral’s report of the Tegetthoff—10. Sounding the depth of the sea.
CHAPTER XI.
NEW LANDS[page 173-177]
1. Seal-hunting.—2. Sunset at midnight.—3. The second summer gone.—4. Land at last.—5. Kaiser Franz-Josef’s Land.—6. Hochstetter Island.
CHAPTER XII.
THE AUTUMN OF 1873.—THE STRANGE LAND VISITED[page 178-184]
1. Autumn of 1873.—2. Resolve to abandon the vessel.—3. Daylight begins to fail.—4. Everything in readiness to leave the ship.—5. Wilczek Island.—6. Our joy at reaching land.—7. Exploring the island.—8. An expedition.—9. The silence of Arctic Regions.—10. The island continues a mystery.
CHAPTER XIII.
OUR SECOND WINTER IN THE ICE[page 185-198]
1. Night begins to reign.—2. Leisure for study.—3. Complete darkness.—4. Continual fall of snow.—5. The middle of the second Polar night.—6. Ill temper of the dogs.—7. The dogs.—8. Pekel, Sumbu, and Jubinal.—9. Christmas time.—10. Our life in the ship.—11. Improvement in health.—12. Scurvy.
CHAPTER XIV.
SUNRISE OF 1874[page 199-201]
1. Return of the moon.—2. Sun appears above the horizon.—3. Lieutenant Weyprecht and I resolve to abandon the ship after the sledge journeys.
CHAPTER XV.
THE AURORA[page 202-210]
1. The northern lights.—2-4. The appearance of the aurora.—5. The influence on the magnetic needle.—6. Description of the aurora by Lieutenant Weyprecht.
[THE SLEDGE JOURNEYS.]
CHAPTER I.
THE EXPLORATION OF KAISER FRANZ-JOSEF LAND RESOLVED ON[page 213-215]
1. Necessity of exploration.—2. Plan of the sledge journeys.—3. Eagerness to begin.—4. Illness of Krisch.
CHAPTER II.
OF SLEDGE TRAVELLING IN GENERAL[page 216-221]
1. The sledge the best means of exploration.—2. The coast line to be followed.—3. Best season for sledging.—4. State of the snow-road.—5. The formation of depôts.—6. Sledges dragged by men and dogs—7. Sledging best performed by dogs.—8. The instruments required on a sledge journey.
CHAPTER III.
THE EQUIPMENT OF A SLEDGE EXPEDITION[page 222-234]
1. The equipment of a sledge.—2. Construction of our sledges.—3. The cooking apparatus.—4. Fuel.—5. Tents used at night.—6. The sleeping bag.—7. Arms and ammunition.—8. Chest for instruments, &c.—9, 10, 11. The provisions.—12. Boats in sledge expeditions.—13. Articles of clothing.—14. Furs.—15. Covering for the feet.—16. Drawing the sledge.
CHAPTER IV.
THE FIRST SLEDGE JOURNEY[page 235-245]
1. Qualities of a leader.—2. Object of our first expedition.—3. My party.—4. We begin our journey.—5. Violent motion of the ice.—6. Conduct of the dogs.—7. Death of the bear.—8. The driving snow.—9. Reach the plateau of Cape Tegetthoff.—10. Ascending the plateau.—11. Night in the sleeping bag.—12. Difficulty of dragging the sledge.—13. Ascend a mountain, Cape Littrow.
CHAPTER V.
THE COLD[page 246-257]
1. The Sonklar glacier.—2. Effect of cold.—3. The frightful cold of North America.—4. Effect of low temperature on the human frame.—5. The voice in cold weather.—6. Hardness of everything.—7. Effect of cold on the senses.—8. Protection against cold.—9. Danger of frost-bite.—10. Thirst.—11. A block of snow.—12. Return to the ship.—13. Death of Krisch.
CHAPTER VI.
A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF KAISER FRANZ-JOSEF LAND[page 258-270]
1. Size of the country.—2. Surface of ice.—3. Map of the country.—4. Naming of discoveries.—5. Comparison of Arctic lands.—6. The existence of volcanic formations.—7, 8. Geology of Franz-Josef Land.—9. Glaciers of Spitzbergen.—10. Ice of Franz-Josef Land.—11. Temperature of the air.—12. The plasticity of the glaciers.—13. North-east of Greenland and Siberia.—14. The vegetation.—15. Finding drift-wood.—16. Impossibility of inhabiting Franz-Josef Land.—17. The absence of animal life.—18. Seals abound.—19. Species of fish seen.—20. Birds.—21. The collection of Dr. Kepes.
CHAPTER VII.
THE SECOND SLEDGE EXPEDITION.—AUSTRIA SOUND[page 271-294]
1. Plan of second expedition.—2. Danger of leaving the ship.—3. Visited by bears.—4. Our preparations finished.—5. The sledge party.—6. Our march.—7. Torossy wounded by a bear.—8. Danger of frost-bite.—9. Arrive at Cape Frankfurt.—10. The configuration of the country.—11. We penetrate to Cape Hansa.—12. A bear killed.—13. I examine the beach.—14. Loss of the dog Sumbu.—15. Easter Sunday.—16. Approach of a bear.—17. Our canvas boots worn out.—18. We reach Becker Island.—19. We lose a bear.—20. Direct our course towards Cape Rath.—21. A bear shot.—22. Difficulty of advancing.—23. We arrive at Cape Schrötter.
CHAPTER VIII.
IN THE EXTREME NORTH[page 295-313]
1. We ascend the summit of the Dolerite Rock.—2. Our expedition to the extreme north.—3. We divide the provisions.—4. The merits of our dogs.—5. Klotz has to return.—6. Zaninovich and the sledge fall into a crevasse.—7. Reach Cape Habermann.—8. Cape Brorock.—9. The enormous flocks of birds.—10. Difficulty of travelling.—11. Cape Säulen.—12. Reach Cape Germania.—13. Cape Fligely.—14. We plant the Austro-Hungarian flag.—15. Document inclosed in a bottle.
CHAPTER IX.
THE RETURN TO THE SHIP[page 314-335]
1. Our return journey.—2. Observations of temperature.—3. Snow-blindness.—4. A bear shot.—5. Reach Cape Hellwald.—6. Orel continues to march southwards.—7. Reach Cape Tyrol.—8. Grandeur of the scenery.—9. Find our companions.—10. We sink in the snow.—11. Arrive at open sea.—12. Over the glaciers of Wilczek Land.—13. Enveloped in whirling snow.—14. Digging out our depôt.—15. The difficulty of advancing.—16. Reach Schönau Island.—17. I find the ship.—18. The ship in our absence.
CHAPTER X.
THE THIRD SLEDGE JOURNEY[page 336-340]
1. Our wish to explore Franz-Josef Land.—2. We leave the ship.—3. The dogs and the bears.—4. A bear killed.—5. Ascent of the pyramid-like Cape Brünn.—6. The extreme difficulty of the ascent.—7. Return to the ship.
[THE “TEGETTHOFF” ABANDONED.—RETURN TO EUROPE.]
CHAPTER I.
LAST DAYS ON THE “TEGETTHOFF”[page 343-347]
1. “Plundering the ship.”—2. Appearance of the ship.—3. Short expeditions.—4. Rapid decrease of the cold.—5. The boats and their contents.—6. The dogs, Gillis and Semlja, shot.—7. Our stock of clothes.—8. Our plan of escape.
CHAPTER II.
ON THE FROZEN SEA[page 348-376]
1. The day for abandoning the ship comes.—2. We start.—3. The dogs.—4. We return to the ship to replenish the stores.—5. Shooting bears.—6. Reach Lamont Island.—7. Return to the ship for the jolly boat.—8. Impatience to launch our boats.—9. Launch at last.—10. Shoot a seal.—11. Quotations from the journal.—12. Crossing fissures.—13. Disheartening efforts.—14. From one floe to another.—15. Carlsen.—16. Life in the boats.—17. Our dreadful situation.—18. Our rations diminished.—19. Forcing our way.—20. Pushing floes asunder.—21. No advance, but great efforts.—22. Delight caused by an advance of four miles a day.—23. Secure a bear.—24. Our progress greatly increases.—25. Ice-hummocks everywhere.—26. Alternate launching and drawing up the boats.—27. Increased progress.—28. The swell of the ocean.—29. Shut in once more.—30. Contrivances to pass away the time.—31. Calking the boats.—32. We reach the open sea.—33. Farewell to the Frozen Ocean.
CHAPTER III.
ON THE OPEN SEA[page 377-389]
1. Sight of the open sea.—2. Compelled to kill the dogs.—3. We take a last look at the ice.—4. Fifty miles from land.—5. We sight Novaya Zemlya.—6. We hold on our course.—7. Vain attempt to land on Novaya Zemlya.—8. Difference in the climate in various years.—9. Land in Gwosdarew Bay.—10. Step on land once more.—11. Coast of Novaya Zemlya.—12. Look in vain for a sail.—13. Our provisions nearly exhausted.—14. We divide the remnant of food.—15. Deliverance at last.—16. The schooner Nikolai.—17. Our reception on board.—18. We hear the news from Europe.—19. Captain Voronin agrees to take us to Norway.—20. The crew of the Nikolai.—21. We run along the coast of Lapland.—22. Landing at Vardö.—23. Reception.
[APPENDIX.]
I. METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS[page 391-393]
II. DIRECTION AND FORCE OF THE WIND[page 394]
INDEX[page 395]