Chapter III

SHANNON ISLAND, WITH THE TELL-PLATTE AND KLEIN-PENDULUM.

Situation, extent, and character of Shannon Island.--Freeden
Bay.--Exploration and measurement of Shannon Island.--Basaltic
columns.--Arctic fox.--Esquimaux dwellings.--Unsuspected
neighbourhood of the Hansa.--Sledge journey of Lieutenant
Payer to the Tell-Platte.--A polar bear.--Difficulty in
advancing.--Ascent of the Tell-Platte.--Beautiful prospect
of the Greenland Coast.--Low temperature.--Return of Dr.
Börgen’s excursion to Klein-Pendulum.--Esquimaux utensils.--The
Stufenberg.

Shannon Island, which, according to our reckoning, stretches from 74° 56′ to 75° 26′ N. Lat., is the lowest of all the large islands within the range of our coasting. In the north it reaches the considerable height of 305.2 metres, equal to 972 Rhenish feet[44] (barometrical measurement). To the east and south, however, the hills scarcely exceed 500 feet; and the remaining portion of the island rises but a few feet above the level of the sea. On the south side is a somewhat important creek, which we named Freeden Bay; whilst in the north-east is a still deeper Fjord, stretching so far into the interior of the island as almost to reach Freeden Bay, so that the island is divided into two very unequal parts. Upon the whole, the shores of these bays are very low, and, as far as we can judge, they are seldom free from an icy covering; thus one can easily see how difficult it must be to give their exact limit. In some neighbourhoods it was no easy task to decide whether we were on land or ice.

In summer time the low-lying lands, when not covered with snow, are mostly changed into a muddy swamp. The whole island, with the exception of the northern part between Cape Copeland and Cape Börgen, where it consists of fine syenite, is of volcanic origin. The party to which I belonged consisted of three, Dr. Börgen, the sailor Klentzer, and myself. Our task was to explore the ground, if possible, completely, and also with regard to the possibility of measuring a base in such a position as to start from, and, if necessary, triangulate along the whole coast. We soon ascertained, however, that it was not possible here to get a good triangle for the purpose of measuring.

The 18th of August was at first foggy, but it afterwards cleared, and we raised a row of stone heaps on the best spots of ground we could find. One of these spots, in the north of the peninsula, is a small basaltic dome, and although only 250 Rhenish feet high, gave us a fine distant view into the interior of Shannon.

On the 19th we had fog for breakfast again, but in the afternoon we continued our explorations in a north-easterly direction. Close to the coast we were astonished at the sight of a fine group of basaltic columns; they were the first we had seen of so regular and distinct a form. The largest must have been quite twenty feet high.

From here we marched for an hour and a quarter over to East Shannon. The land resembled that by Cape Philip Broke, but the high levels were more extensive, and covered with several low, muddy spots. As we were taking our measurements we saw a musk-ox, which we shot; we took some of the flesh, and reached the tent by half-past three.

The 20th of August found us active on the east coast, in the neighbourhood of the basaltic columns.

For a long time we had seen a large bear in the distance, investigating the row of hummocks, which showed the edge of the land-ice, but it did not seem advisable to follow him. On our return road we saw some snow of a pale reddish colour; it seemed to be formed of a mixture of red clay or sandstone dust.[45]

On the 21st, as we were exploring more to the south and east, we came upon a small, deep ravine; it ran close down to the shore, and seemed to be a collecting place for the drift-wood. One tree, which was certainly broken in many places, was at least forty feet long. Under the drift-wood lay the skull of a fine bear, and by the side a jaw-bone, which now was likely to grace some European museum. In the evening we returned on board, as the next day was Sunday. It was not, however, to be a day of rest, as Captain Koldewey had decided upon sailing to Cape Desbrowe, from this height to study the state of the ice, and look out for the Hansa. We, as well as Lieutenant Payer, Sengstacke, and two sailors, were therefore again set on shore and left to our fate. The night before, Klentzer, who had slept alone in the tent, had suffered from the intrusion of a fox; it had fled in to him, and not until after several vain attempts to kill his guest with a bayonet did the creature seek safety in flight.

In the afternoon we took a pleasant walk along the west coast, and discovered a number of “Tent-rings,” or circles, and other traces of inhabitants long since disappeared.

On the 23rd of August a cold wind blew, with wet fog, covering everything with rime. The fox visited us again, and again escaped from our attempt at murder. We passed our time in fetching drift-wood from the east coast, whilst Payer conveyed a basaltic column from the north end of the peninsula to our anchor-ground.

Upon continuing our work on the south end of the peninsula on the 24th, we found everywhere traces of very old Esquimaux huts and graves. The huts were not the usual underground winter-dwellings, but were built of stones on the flat earth, a block of rock being taken as the back wall. The largest of these peculiar dwellings was ten feet in diameter and six feet in height.

In the night Payer, Sengstacke, and two sailors went to south-west Shannon (Tellplatte), and the next morning nothing was to be seen either of them or the Germania. Now we know that at this time the Hansa lay at no great distance in the ice, and that a part of her gallant crew had advanced in the boat to within a short distance of Cape Desbrowe.

Close by the west point of Cape Philip Broke lay a strange object on the land-ice. The light grey and whitish colour at first made us think that it was a bear, but afterwards we found it to be an old walrus; it lay close to a hole in the ice. We approached it stealthily, and the first shot took effect. It was about ten feet long and nine feet in circumference near the fore-fins. We were glad of this capture, as in case the voyage should be hindered, we were at least supplied with meat and fuel for some weeks.

We now collected our apparatus and brought them down to the Cape, together with the tent. At nine p.m. we had the pleasure of seeing the little Germania sailing slowly towards us, though still at some considerable distance. At midnight it was pretty dark, but we could see to read in the tent. At one a.m. I went out; the ship was nearer, and a column of smoke showed that she was under steam. I went far out on to the ice to speak privately to the captain, but I might have saved myself the trouble, for those on shore heard every word of the conversation, the air was so still and clear. The ship was worked chiefly at low pressure on account of the young ice, although it was not more than one-half to three-quarters of an inch thick; but with each motion of the ship the ice was pushed layer upon layer, until at last she was brought to a stand-still, and only by backing and running ahead did they at length reach the anchor-ground. The rest of the day was passed in measuring and skinning the walrus. Near the Esquimaux huts we saw a block of quartz, two feet and a half in diameter, the surface of which was wonderfully worn and polished. Had it been used as a sharpening stone, or for what other purpose?

On this day our attention was first drawn to the peculiar unearthly moaning and groaning of the ice-floes as they were forced against the land by the tide, and as I was coming from the ship over the ice to land unarmed, I cannot deny that a feeling of terror seized me, and I looked round to see the unknown animal from whence the sound proceeded. I afterwards discovered the true cause, however.

On the 27th Payer and his party returned full of the wonders of the Tellplatte; their tour had been most satisfactory.

We now held a consultation, and all agreed that for the moment there was no prospect of getting further northward; so at four p.m. we steamed for Klein-Pendulum, which we reached at half-past eleven p.m.

Since the 12th of August the sun had again risen and set for us, and at midnight it was already twilight, so that for the first time for two months we could see the bright stars, and at midnight on deck we could see to read the smallest print.

These uniform and uneventful days on Shannon Island were useful to us, in so far that they showed us the capabilities as well as deficiencies in our tents, coverings, cooking apparatus, and so on.

So much for Dr. Copeland and his party. We will now give some account of Lieutenant Payer’s first sledge journey to the Tellplatte.

On the 16th of August, on the plateau north of Cape Philip Broke, Payer had measured a base 1600 fathoms long, and in order to conclude this work he on the 25th started on a small sledge journey, accompanied by Sengstacke, Ellinger, and Iversen, to the south-west of Shannon, called the Tellplatte. They pulled a small sledge, without either tent or sleeping-sack, across the monotonous snow-fields of Freeden Bay. A layer of fog hung over it only a few fathoms high, disguising the real distance from the travellers. Suddenly icebergs emerged like ghosts from the surrounding fog, apparently far off, yet close at hand; then a yellowish spot began to move, and a bear stood a few steps from the sledgedrawers. To halt and fire was the work of a moment, and, after a vain attempt to rise again, the bear died at the feet of the travellers. Gradually the sun broke through the fog, and the terraces of the Tellplatte looked like a violet silhouette.

The further they advanced the more impractible the ice became, being perforated by numerous springs. With some trouble they at length reached the lowlands to the west of the bay; here the sledge remained behind as the land was perfectly free from snow. And after dividing the baggage the wanderers continued their ascent, when after fifteen hours’ march they reached the highest point of the Tellplatte (670 ft. above the sea).

“Here on the broad mountain top were masses of rubbish of gneiss formation resembling those on Pendulum Island. We were also astonished by the sight of a large flat promontory (south of Haystack), which is not distinctly marked on Clavering’s charts. The view of the front coast of Greenland was full of majestic beauty.”

Brown and blue lines of mountains with their sharp pinnacles rose in the warmth of the midnight sun on the other side of a snow desert some miles broad, long shadows lying on those parts turned from the sun.

Whilst for six hours Payer was busy with measure and theodolite, his companions had discovered a herd of musk-oxen and killed two of them. Heavily laden they returned to the sledge at midnight. The sun had gone down some hours. The mountain country had taken those fantastic hues of deep red and violet, even to the coldest, palest toning of the snow; in the zenith shone a faint whitish blue; to the south a lively greyish blue; and the newly-risen copper-coloured moon, distorted by refraction, shone in every little mirrored surface of the young ice. The temperature of the snow had fallen to 20° Fahr., so that the travellers in their thin shoes were on the point of freezing. A drowsiness crept over them, Cape Philip Broke seemed unattainable; at last they reached the place where the dead bear lay, and, after thirty-three hours’ absence, Cape Philip Broke (seven German miles). On the same day (26th August), the Germania returned from Pendulum Island, but only to start again on the 27th for the same place with the whole community.

Dr. Börgen gives the following description of the excursion to Klein-Pendulum, from the 27th to the 31st of August.

Whilst Lieut. Payer surveyed the land and roamed through the island, we were chained to the shore by astronomical and magnetic observations. But we did not altogether miss interesting things; we were much amused by the confidence of the sand-pipers, with their melancholy “tut-tut” coming close to us. The ducks, however, were more shy, who with their young ones were evidently on an excursion (as they do not nest on Pendulum).

Near the place where we had pitched our tent we found some winter huts, the digging up of which brought much to light that was useful for our collection.

Even Dr. Pansch, whose wound was beginning to heal, would not remain inactive, and spent the sunny day in looking for botanical specimens.

The wind was rough, and, though the Stufenberg protected us, on the whole, from the north wind, it sometimes rushed down the steep sides and slopes like a whirlwind, against which our little tent could make no resistance. We were, therefore, obliged to lay it down, to prevent its being torn in pieces; and Pansch, who had to be careful of catching cold in his wound, and had lain down to rest, was completely wound up in the violently-blowing canvas, much to our amusement and his own discomfiture.

At last, on the 31st of August, when our work was finished, we started to view the island, making an excursion to ascertain the barometrical height of some of the tops. The Stufenberg was our first destination; on the top we found a large plateau, narrowing towards the north, and also sinking to rise on the other side into a similar though smaller plateau, separated from the Stufenberg by a great valley. From this second high plateau run several small ridges, which again rise to small low summits, leaving valleys between, more or less broad in extent. From here we went through the above-mentioned valley, and then over the south-easterly declivity of the Stufenberg plateau to the south shore, which we reached at two o’clock. The height of the Stufenberg was 1512 feet, and that of the highest mountain, 1985 feet. Such was the scientific knowledge acquired on this tour. But the kitchen, too, profited by this excursion, for we brought home four hares and some ducks!