Die Entdeckung von Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Land

by Julius Payer

This work by the nineteenth-century Arctic explorer and artist Julius von Payer (1841–1915), originally published in German and translated into English almost immediately in 1876, documents his experiences during the Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition, which he commanded from 1872 to 1874 with his colleague Karl Weyprecht. Early into the expedition, of which the original aim was to find a north-eastern passage, their ship, the Tegetthoff, became trapped in ice, and its resultant drifting into unknown territories led to the discovery of Franz-Josef Land.
The work contains both maps and paintings, the latter by von Payer himself.

Excerpt:
"We built a pyramid of stones six feet high on the island, and fixed in it one of our flags attached to a pole. 8. On the 3rd of November a party of us started about eight o'clock in the morning, when it was quite dark, to attempt to reach a glacier which we had seen, on the north of the island and on the other side of a frozen inlet of the sea. We took with us a small sledge drawn by three dogs, and, in constant fear of being cut off from the ship, we pressed on over a level surface of snow towards some objects suffused with a dim rosy light, which seemed to float over them. As we neared them we found them to be icebergs, which sparkled like jewels, and which we took to be the terminal precipice of the glacier we were in search of. It was only, however, after some hours that we came actually in sight of it; the ship having meanwhile disappeared from our view. Suddenly there emerged before us, in the east, a white band, which proved to be the terminal front of the glacier, which, as we approached it, we were surprised to find had an inclination of only two or three degrees. Its highest point, therefore, must have been at a very great distance. On its left side there was a moraine of great depth. When we began our return to the ship, the rosy evening light had disappeared from the higher clouds, while it became clearer behind the gigantic mass of the glacier, so that its dark outline stood out strongly marked on the heavens. It was quite dark when we again drew near the ship, but the brave Carlsen, armed with rifle and walrus-lance for any emergency, came out to meet us. 9. In an excursion on the 6th of November we reached a point on the north-west of Wilczek Island - passing for the first time during this expedition beyond the eightieth degree of north latitude..."

Genres: History

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1876

About the author

Julius Johannes Ludovicus Ritter von Payer (1841-1915), ennobled Ritter von Payer in 1876, was an officer of the Austro-Hungarian Army, mountaineer, arctic explorer, cartographer, painter, and professor at the Theresian Military Academy. He is chiefly known for the Austro-Hungarian North Pole expedition in 1872–74 and the discovery of Franz Josef Land.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kniha, u které jsem si jistá, že sloužila jako inspirace pro cimrmanovské Dobytí. Neskutečný příběh houževnatosti, vytrvalosti s velkého štěstí

[Ela Bělíková · Rating 4 out of 5]

Česko mentioned💪💪💪💪💪🇨🇿🇨🇿🇨🇿🇨🇿🇨🇿