Chapter XV: The Germania Steams Northwards. 22nd to 31st July.88

Voyage of the Germania towards the North.--Ascent of the
highest points of Klein Pendulum.--Damage to the boilers of
the Germania.--The so-called open Polar Sea.--Attainment
of 75° 29′ N.L.--Shannon.--Cape Börgen.--Solid barrier
of ice northwards.--Abandonment of the attempt to push
northwards.--Course to the south.

The scientific work on Sabine Island and its neighbourhood might now be considered finished. The ship was quite ready to sail; the latest observations, as taken from the Germaniaberg, with regard to the ice were favourable, there being much open water, and it therefore seemed to be a suitable time for pushing on to the north. Thus, on the 22nd of July, at nine a.m., we left the harbour which had been our home for ten months, in high spirits, with waving flags, and the loud hurrahs of the whole party. Dr. Pansch, Peter Iversen, and Peter Ellinger, remained behind to explore some Esquimaux graves, and collect some skeletons: they came on board later in the afternoon. Our course was taken in the direction of Klein Pendulum, as the astronomers had some important work to finish relating to the geodetical measuring. We anchored at eleven a.m.

The Captain, Dr. Börgen, and Lieutenant Payer, climbed to the highest point of the island. Unfortunately, a fog rose from the north, thus debarring all prospect. The Tellplatte, 650 feet high, was soon covered; one thing we were just able to perceive, namely, that to the east of Cape Philip Broke there was much open water. The fog continued to roll southwards, and upon returning on board at three a.m. on the 23rd, Pendulum Island was invisible, we therefore lay at anchor the whole day. Dr. Pansch and Dr. Copeland employed the time in exploring the Esquimaux huts, and were well rewarded for their trouble.

The Flora could only be investigated near the huts. There was nothing remarkable to be found. As in the spring, there were the luxuriant _Polemonium humile_ (Willd.), and the yellow crowfoot (_Ranunculus nivalis_, L.), and in dry places the lousewort (_Pedicularis hirsuta_, L.).

We also collected some fine blooming specimens of the willow, but, on the whole, blooming time was over. Vegetation had already partly assumed its autumn tints. We had a good opportunity of noting here how little change takes place in the course of time. Spots where the autumn before we had placed stones or removed them were still unchanged, as if but a few days had elapsed since we had been there. This is important, as it confirms the fact that many years must have passed since the Esquimaux huts had been forsaken.

On the morning of the 24th of August the fog rolled more eastward, and coast and island once more made their appearance. Steam was at once got up and the anchor weighed, but it was not to be done so easily; a large ice-field, several miles in diameter, had jammed itself so close to the land-ice lying east of Pendulum Island, that after a fruitless attempt to force our way through we were obliged to go round. To increase our difficulties, to the east of the field there was such a crowd of blocks, that with all our steam-power we could scarcely get through. It was about four p.m. before we had passed the field, and found ourselves to the east of the low cliffs close to the land-ice; from these we directed our course straight for Cape Philip Broke, as this part of the sea was nearly free from ice. At ten minutes past seven p.m. we anchored at the Cape, the captain at once climbing the nearest hill to see if the water was open on the east side of the island. He found that for two nautical miles the ice was loose, and there was an open passage.

Farther north, as far as one could see, the land-ice surrounded the island to the depth of about four nautical miles. A large field had here united with the land-ice, though more easterly there was open water to the north, where, as far as the horizon, nothing but water, strewn with drifting ice, could be seen. Besides this, the heavens on the northern horizon wore a dark aspect as far as the eye could see, leading us to conclude that beyond it lay more water,--another sufficient reason for talking of an open Arctic Sea, when, from a mountain 140 feet high, there is water to be seen, and a dark water sky above to the farthest north, and yet we were again doomed to disappointment. Indeed, such signs of water as we saw from Shannon Island have much to do with the prevailing idea of an open Arctic Sea, which is ever cropping up and ever winning friends, in spite of all experience to the contrary, and in spite of the weightiest physical reasons. Indeed, it is easily shown how little this theory of an open sea at the Pole can be accepted. In the icy sea there are everywhere small and large places free from ice caused by local circumstances, so that often, even from a high mountain, nothing but water may be seen in one particular direction.

Dove’s Isothermal chart gives a temperature of 5° under the Pole; we may, therefore, assume that here it is more likely to be lower than higher. Even in the warmest months it rises but a few degrees above freezing. Thus in the Spitzbergen Sea Scoresby, in 78° N. Lat., which is still under the influence of the warm current, finds, after twelve years’ observation, the following temperatures;--May, 23° Fahr.; June, 31°; July, 36°. We found in our winter harbour, under Sabine Island, April, 2° Fahr.; May, 22°; June, 36°; July, 39°; August, 33°; September, 24°.

In such temperatures the sea will freeze nine months in the year in the open ocean; and amongst the high ice-fields in a calm at midnight, when the sun is at its lowest, in every month of the year ice is forming, so that the influence of the sun alone is not sufficient to destroy what is formed in the winter. Under such conditions it is clear that in a completely enclosed sea no open spaces of water could obtain; in a few years they would be permanently covered with ice. Such a condition is, however, nowhere found within the Arctic basin, for the simple reason that its waters are not enclosed, but stand connected with the Atlantic Ocean by a powerful arm of the sea.

Strong currents, combined with raging winds in the winter, are the cause of the breaking up of the otherwise firm ice, so that the Arctic basin may be compared to a strong running stream of ice. As has already been said, we saw from the hill northwards, as far as the eye could reach, water and a dark water sky; it was, therefore, thought well to steam on without delay. It was, however, discovered that one of the boiler-pipes leaked.

Our impatience to push forward before the open water should again be blocked by fields, led us to weigh anchor, in the hope that a 40lb. pressure would at least not increase the leakage; but this force we found insufficient. We were therefore obliged to lie to, as the wind was not strong enough for us to work our way through the floes. That same night the pipe was repaired. The compulsory stay at this Cape was on the following day (25th of July) turned to account by the scientific men.

The peculiarity of this part of the island was the broad, soft, billowy-shaped plains, in which but little water ran. Everywhere one could see distinctly the effects of the spring snows and hear the gently-gurgling melted water.

On the 26th of July, at two a.m., we continued our journey northwards. The weather was fine, with a light south-west wind, the temperature 36.5° Fahr. From the mountain the captain had seen that the field blocking the channel by the land-ice had parted, so that a passage many miles in length had been opened up to us; there was, however, a fog-bank to the south, which soon rolled up and enveloped us. At five a.m. it cleared, and we found a quantity of ice ahead of us; we were close to the most easterly cape of Shannon, Cape Pansch, in the same latitude in which Clavering had to turn back on account of the densely-packed ice. Here we lay to, and, climbing a neighbouring hill of about 100 feet in height, took a survey. This was not reassuring. Closely-packed fields and blocks lay to the north and east of us, so that for a time advance seemed impossible, except at a disproportionate expenditure of coal. Beyond this ice, however, to our great joy, as far as the horizon there was broad open water, so that if only the shifting fields and blocks moved from the land-ice we were sure of several miles’ clear passage.

Upon the barren earth of the hillock, writes Dr. Pansch, all was a desert, but beyond were well-developed blooming plants of well-known species (_Papaver_, _Pedicularis_, _Saxifraga_, _Cerastium_, and so on); there were also several other plants, particularly a fine yellow-blossoming mustard (_Draba alpina_, L.), and the _Oxyria digyna_ (L.).

On the shore were several pieces of drift-wood. Of birds, besides snow-buntings, were a couple of burgomaster-gulls (_Larus glaucus_, L.). Near the ship we saw later a diver (_Uria grylle_) fishing, and a flock of sea-swallows occasionally broke the stillness of the evening with their querulous screams.

Further southwards on the distant hills we recognized some musk-oxen, and a fine bear walking quietly up and down on the high, steep wall of land-ice, who did not allow himself to be disturbed by the passing puffing of the steamer.

We kept a sharp look-out from the hills, and when in the afternoon Mr. Sengstacke reported that the ice had moved, we steamed forward along the edge of the land-ice, which here made a sharp bend to the east.

Too much attention cannot be drawn to the fact that in Arctic regions, having once found a suitable way, a little patience and energetic action, to turn every favourable chance to account, is far better than blindly fighting against hindrances which can either not be overcome at all, or, if so, only at the expense of great loss of time and strength.

At seven p.m. we again stopped, and Dr. Copeland that same evening climbed the highest point of the island.

Lieutenant Payer, on the contrary, with the officer O. Trammitz, climbed one of the lowest hills. The mountain was composed of syenite, which, for the greater part, had split into huge blocks, making the climbing anything but easy. The land-ice, which was here from two to three nautical miles in breadth, exhibited many cracks and fissures, some so broad that Dr. Copeland had to take a plank in order to improvise a bridge over which to cross.

During the night a thick fog lay to the east, but with a light north wind lifted towards the morning, so that we steamed forwards in fine weather, and with the hope of leaving some miles behind us that day. The water was quite free from ice; even the pack-ice in the east was no longer visible from the deck. Eight nautical miles we made without obstacles that day, when the road grew narrower and narrower, and at fifty minutes past ten a.m. became blocked by a huge mass; and from the masts of the ship no signs of water could be seen. This mass was connected with the land-ice; and, unless it should be separated by a strong wind, all further advance was impossible. Our latitude was 75° 29′ N., a few minutes more than we had reached the previous summer.

As the weather was pleasant, we landed to explore the island; and as it was clear that this would be the most northerly point of the coast that we could reach with the ship, the botanists did their best. They were surprised to find so much vegetation on a tongue of land so surrounded with ice. Certainly, after getting over the land-ice, we had had to cross a stretch of the driest and most barren pebbly ground that we had yet seen in Greenland.

There was, writes Dr. Pansch, not the smallest trace of moss. As we toiled up the slope in the warm morning sun, we were again reminded of the chalk Alps of Switzerland. We stopped upon a height where Andromeda grew plentifully, but all the plants seemed nearly lifeless; so dry was their foliage that the Andromeda burnt like tinder. The plants on the summit were as sapless, though taller and more vigorous; particularly some species of grass between the blocks of rock, and some small willows.

The whole of this part of the island was, however, not so arid; in the low-lying districts and hollows lay masses of snow, spreading into ponds, with marshy banks and gurgling brooks running through luxuriant green meadows of moss and grass. Here we saw the yellow-blossomed ranunculus and the saxifrage; the white-blossoming Dryas opened its large flowers, and the Pedicularis reminded us of home scenery.

As was the case on Sabine Island, on our return we came upon large tracts of land under gurgling water, which were of course fruitful.

Farther on we collected some well preserved pieces of drift-wood; it was in such masses, and had evidently lain so long, that we concluded that for miles round no natives could have lived for some time. Such valuable material as drift-wood in so accessible a situation they could scarcely have overlooked; besides the usual fir and larch, were pieces of Alder (_Alnus incana_, L.) and poplar (_Populus tremula_, L.), plainly showing that the drift-wood of North-east Greenland comes originally from North Siberia; whence driven into the sea by the strong currents, it floats in a westerly direction, north of Spitzbergen, and is carried on until it reaches the Greenland coast, when it takes a southerly course.

We dredged by the ship’s side to thirty fathoms; and though the booty was poor, it was interesting, consisting as it did of some elegant corals.

On the morning of the 28th of July Lieutenant Payer returned from his excursion, reporting that the prospect to the north was not comforting; nothing but ice as far as the eye could reach; no signs of water.

No change on the 29th; nothing but heavy ice and a white ice-sky to the north. It was evident that until the beginning of the autumn storms nothing could set the enormous mass in motion. According to our experience, these did not begin before the middle or end of August, and therefore not until near the end of the sailing-season; so that, as our instructions positively forbade a second wintering, we should have to think of returning. The probability of advancing further, even in the course of the year, was very uncertain, besides the threatening danger to the ship from the crowding masses of ice, and to this danger the amount of knowledge gained would scarcely be equivalent. All this considered, the Captain thought the best plan was to spend the remainder of the time in exploring the coast and the interior of the country. Whether this decision was the best must be left to a just and well-versed judge; sufficient, that all the officers and scientific members of the Expedition unanimously agreed with the Captain.

Steam was got up once more; but at a pressure of thirty pounds the boiler-pipe leaked again. During the night our bay filled more and more with large floes and blocks, which had broken partly from the land-ice, but also came up from the south, threatening to block us up entirely.

_Page 538._

THE GERMANIA ON THE NORTHERN COAST OF SHANNON.]

At ten minutes past three a.m. on the 30th of July, we again steamed southwards.