[Sidenote: _PAYER’S SLEDGE JOURNEYS_] A second winter settled upon the _Tegetthoff_ and her crew at this point, the chief diversion being bear hunts, in which no less than sixty-seven bears were killed. On the 10th of March, 1874, Payer made a preliminary sledge journey, the object of which was to determine the position and general relations of the new land. A large sledge was used and was equipped for a week; it carried an extra quantity of provisions, which were intended to form depots, for the more extended sledge journey contemplated for later on. Thirty-nine pounds of hard bread, five pounds of pemmican, sixteen pounds of boiled beef, one pound of pea-sausage, one-half pound of salt and pepper, six pounds of rice, two pounds of grits, five pounds of chocolate, five gallons of rum, one pound of extract of meat, two pounds of condensed milk, and eight gallons of alcohol. The party consisted of Payer and six men, with three dogs. Intense cold and violent snow-storms, the thermometer falling as low as -59°, caused great suffering to the men from frost bites. This frightful temperature was experienced March 14. On that day Payer with a Tyrolese mountain climber stood on the summit of the precipitous face of the Sonklar-Glacier, whose broad terminal front overhangs the frozen bay of Nordenskjöld Fiord. After making deposits of provisions, the party were obliged to return to the ship, after an absence of five days. On March 26, Lieutenant Payer with ten men and three dogs started on a more extended journey of thirty days. The equipment for this second trip consisted of:— lbs. the large sledge 150 the provisions, including packing 620 the dog sledge 37 the tent, sleeping bags, tent-poles, and Alpine stock 320 alcohol and rum 128 fur coats and fur gloves 140 instruments, rifles, ammunition 170 shovel, 2 cooking-machines, drag-ropes, dog-tent, etc. 1565 Each of the four sacks of provisions—calculated for seven days and seven men—contained fifty-one pounds of boiled beef, forty-eight pounds of bread, eight pounds of pemmican, seven pounds of bacon, two pounds of extract of meat, four pounds of condensed milk, two pounds of coffee, four pounds of chocolate, seven pounds of rice, three pounds of grits, one pound of salt and pepper, two pounds of pea-sausage, four pounds of sugar, besides a reserve bag with twenty pounds of bread. Boiled beef was taken as food for the dogs, and it was hoped that game would supplement the general rations.