The Austrian Arctic Expedition, Part II [pp. 385-400]

THE A USTRIAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION.V.
throw over his knife, with which Payer severed the
trace fastened around his waist. The sledge made a
short turn, and then stuck fast again. Payer leaped
to his feet, sprang across the crevasse, about ten feet
broad, caught sight of his comrade below, and shouted
to him that he would run back to the camp, get
ropes and the men, and, if he could keep himself
from being frozen for four hours, he should be rescued. Flinging off his skin garments, his shawl,
boots, and gloves, as he ran, and, dripping with perspiration, he pressed on at the top of his speed
through the deep snow, and gained the camp, six
miles distant. A rope was taken from the sledge,
with which, and a long tent-pole, all made their way
to the crevasse. Four hours and a half had passed,
and not a sound was heard at first; then there was
the faint whining of a dog, followed by some unintelligible human words. Hailer was fastened to a
rope and let down. He found Zaninovich, almost
frozen, on a ledge, and both were drawn up. His
first words were to ask forgiveness for having drunk
a little of the rum, in order to keep himself from being frozen to death. The dogs had somehow freed
themselves from their traces, and sprang upon a narrow ledge, where they had fallen fast asleep. They
and the sledge were soon hauled up. So well had it
been packed that not an article was lost.
The march of the three was continued northward
for two days-first across the frozen Austrian Sound;
then along the northern edge of a large land, which
they called Crown-Prince Rudolf Land; past a lofty
promontory, which they named Cape Auk, from the
immense numbers of those fowls which were circling
around it, and past Cape Sdulen, "Cape of Pillars,"
from two immense columnar rocks which jutted out
into open water; then across the land, until they
climbed a promontory one thousand feet high, which
they named Cape Fligely, in honor of a distinguished geographer. It is in latitude 82~- 5', and
from it they looked far around on all sides.
"The view we had from this height," says Payer,
"was of great importance in relation to the question of
an open polar sea. Open water there was of considerable extent, and in very high latitudes; of this there could
be no question. But what was its character? From the
height on which we stood we could survey its extent.
Our expectations had not been sanguine, but, moderate
though they were, they proved to be exaggerated. No
open sea was there, but a' polynia,' surrounded by old
ice, within which lay masses of younger ice. This open
space of water had arisen from the action of the longprevalent east-northeast winds. < But of more immediate
interest than the question of an open polar sea was the
aspect of blue mountain-ranges lying in the distant north,
and which lay before us with their outlines clearly defined. These we called King Oscar Land and Petermann
Land. The mountainous extremity on the west of the
latter lay beyond the eighty-third degree of north latitude. This promontory I have called Cape Vienna, in
testimony of the interest which Austria's capital has
ever shown in geographical science, and in gratitude for
the sympathy with which she followed our wanderings
and finally rewarded our humble merits."
This was the extreme northern point of their
journey. If they had had a boat, they might have
gone some miles farther. Although they were a few
miles in error in supposing that Cape Fligely was
the most northern land ever trodden by human feet,
we believe that Cape Vienna is still the most north ern land ever seen by human eyes. They raised the
flag of their country on the summit of Cape Fligely.
"Proudly," says their leader, "we planted the Austro-Hungarian flag for the first time in the high
North, our consciences telling us that we had carried
it as far as our resources permitted. It was no act
asserting a right of possession in the name of a nation, as when Albuquerque or Van Diemen unfurled
the standards of their country on foreign soil; yet
we had won this cold, stiff, frozen land, with not
less difficulty than those discoverers had gained those
paradises. It was a sore trial to feel our inability to
visit the lands lying before us; but, withal, we were
impressed with the conviction that this day was the
most important of our lives." The following document, signed with the names of all the party, was
inclosed in a bottle and deposited in a cleft of the
rock.
"C'aye iFZzely, April 12, -874.-Some members of
the Austro-Hungarian North-Pole Expedition have reached
their highest point in 82~ 5' north latitude, after a march
of seventeen days from the ship, lying inclosed in ice in
latitude 79~ 5'. They observed open water, of no great
extent, along the coast, bordered by ice, reaching in a
north and northwesterly direction to masses of land, whose
mean distance from this highest point might be from sixty to seventy miles, but whose connection it was impossible to determine. After their return to the ship, it is the
intention of the whole crew to leave this land and return
home. The hopeless condition of the ship, and the numerous cases of sickness, constrain them to this step."
The return-journey was more difficult and perilous than the advance had been. "As we started
on the morning of the I3th," says Payer, "we awoke
also to the extreme difficulties of the return-routedifficulties which the excitement of our advance had
made light of. Orel, suffering from snow-blindness,
marched along with closed eyes; and want of sleep
began to tell on us all. Even our dogs were worn
out, and whenever a halt was made they lay down
exhausted in the snow. The sledge had constantly
to be unloaded and reloaded, and its fractures repaired. The surface of smooth ice, encumbered with
snow-slush which had accumulated on it, rendered
our progress very burdensome." They made a long
day's march, and at evening reached the camp at
Cape Schrdtter. Those who had been left there were
not in good plight. All were suffering from diarrhcea
and snow-blindness, and Klotz's foot had become
much worse. The whole party, however, took up their
march on the I4th. It was soon apparent that their
strength was greatly reduced. Their appetites were
enormous, but the excessive consumption of animal
food, to which they were unaccustomed, seemed to
lower the muscular power and irritate the nerves.
Three of the men, who could not endure bear-meat,
were often attacked with giddiness, and had to be
placed on half-allowance. In the following week
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