PAYER, Julius, Ritter von, Oberlieutenant

Cartographer, alpinist, polar explorer, painter, writer. Commander "zu lande" (ashore) of the Austrian-Hungarian Arctic expedition. Expert sledge-dog driver.

In Ransmayr's novel, Payer is the bad guy. He endangers his men during useless and dangerous sledging trips, fanatically baptizing cliffs, islands and mountains, some of them mere mirages.

WEYPRECHT, Carl, Linienschiffslieutenant

Polar explorer, meteorologist, oceanographer. Commander at sea of the Austrian-Hungarian Arctic expedition.

In Ransmayr's version, Weyprecht is a quiet scientist, who loaths the fancy discoveries Payer desperately wants to make.