Pursuing a course past Iceland between the Faroe and Shetland isles, they stood off Heligoland, September 10. “At daybreak, though we had seen no pilot, we recognized Wangerooge, and steered along the South wall to the mouth of the Weser. No sign of a ship! The Weser seemed to have died out. Where are the pilots hidden? Are they lying _perdu_ on account of yesterday’s storm? Well, then, we must run into the Weser without them, the wind is favorable, the weather clear, the outer buoy will be easy to find; there is the church-tower of Wangerooge. Suspecting nothing, we steered on; the tower bears south-southwest, southwest by south, southwest, but no buoy in sight. The Captain and steersman look at each other in astonishment. Can we have been so mistaken and out of our reckoning? But, no! That is certainly Wangerooge; the depth of water agrees, our compass is correct. No doubt about it, we are in the Weser; something unusual must have happened! Still no sail in sight! But what is that? Yonder are the roads. There are several large vessels under steam; they at least can give us some information. So we make for them. We saluted the German flag, and soon the cry was heard, ‘War, war with France; Napoleon a prisoner! France has declared a Republic; our armies are before Paris!’ And then, ‘_Hansa_ destroyed in the ice, crew saved.’ We thought we were dreaming, and stood stiff with astonishment at such grand and heart-stirring news. Not until a loud hurrah for King William sounded from a hundred German throats did we regain our speech, and answer with another ‘Hurrah!’” CHAPTER XV Austrian expedition, 1871.—Payer and Weyprecht.—The _Tegetthoff_ adrift in the Polar pack.—Discovery of Franz Josef Land.—Payer’s sledge journeys.—Payer’s farthest 82° 5´ north latitude.—Cape Fligely.—Abandonment of the _Tegetthoff_.—Retreat of officers and crew.—Picked up by Russian fishermen.—“Home.” [Sidenote: _AUSTRIAN ARCTIC VOYAGES_] Having gained much distinction for his valuable services in the second German expedition, Lieutenant Payer was resolved to continue in the path of polar discovery. The following year, in company with his colleague and friend, Lieutenant Weyprecht of the Austrian-Hungarian Navy, he equipped the Norwegian schooner _Isbjorn_ and examined the edge of the ice between Spitzbergen and Nova Zembla, reaching 78° 43´ north latitude, and 42° 30´ east longitude, on the 1st of September, 1871. The zealous endeavours of Payer and Weyprecht succeeded in calling into existence a still larger Austrian expedition in 1872. Their plan was to select a route by the north end of Nova Zembla with a view to making the Northeast Passage.