New lands within the Arctic circle: Narrative of the discoveries of the Austrian ship "Tegetthoff" in the years 1872-1874Payer, Julius
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New lands within the Arctic circle: Narrative of the discoveries of the Austrian ship "Tegetthoff" in the years 1872-1874
Payer, Julius
Admiral Tegetthoff (Ship); Arctic regions; Franz Josef Land (Russia) -- Discovery and exploration
[Illustration: TWILIGHT AT MIDDAY, FEBRUARY 1874.]
NEW LANDS
WITHIN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.
_NARRATIVE OF THE DISCOVERIES
OF THE AUSTRIAN SHIP “TEGETTHOFF”
IN THE YEARS 1872-1874._
BY
JULIUS PAYER,
ONE OF THE COMMANDERS OF THE EXPEDITION.
WITH MAPS AND NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS FROM DRAWINGS
BY THE AUTHOR.
Translated from the German, with the Author’s Approbation.
NEW YORK:
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY,
549 AND 551 BROADWAY.
1877.
AUTHOR’S PREFACE.
In laying this book before the Public I desire, in the first instance,
to acknowledge without reserve my sense of the great merits of my
colleague, Lieutenant Weyprecht. The reader of the following pages will
learn with what unwearied, though fruitless, energy he struggled to free
the _Tegetthoff_ from her icy prison, and what dauntless courage and
unfailing command of resources he displayed in our hazardous retreat
from the abandoned ship, till the moment of our happy rescue. The order
and discipline maintained on board ship, and in the terrible march over
the Frozen Ocean, as well as in the perilous boat voyage after leaving
the ice-barrier, were mainly due to his distinguished abilities. He had
supreme command of the expedition, as long as its duties were strictly
nautical; when the operations of sledging and surveying began, I had the
responsibility of a separate and independent command.
Nor ought I to be slow to pay my tribute of respect to the perseverance
and constant self-denial of Lieutenant Brosch and Midshipman Orel. It
would be difficult to determine, whether they shone more as officers of
the ship, or as observers of scientific phenomena. The highly important
duty of managing the stores and provisions was discharged also by
Lieutenant Brosch with a conscientiousness that secured the confidence of
all.
To the watchful skill of Dr. Kepes we owed it, that the health and
constitution of the members of the expedition suffered so little from all
their hardships and privations.
The conduct of the crew was on the whole praiseworthy. Their obedience to
command, their perseverance and resolution shown on every occasion, will
be cited as an example of what these virtues and qualities can achieve
amid the most appalling dangers and trials.
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