142 Chapter V. 



to freshen again from E.N.E., and we had to beat with 

 steam and sail. Single floes of ice were seen during the 

 evening and night. 



Wednesday, August i6th. As the Kara Sea seemed 

 so extraordinarily free from ice, and as a heavy sea was 

 running from the north-east, we decided to hold north 

 as far as we could, even if it should be to the Einsamkeit 

 (Lonely) Island. But about half-past three in the after- 

 noon we had a strip of close ice ahead, so that we had to 

 turn. Stiff breeze and sea. Kept on beating east along 

 the edge of the ice. Almost lost the petroleum launch 

 in the evening. The waves were constantly breaking 

 into it and filling" it, the gunwale was burst in at two 



O <3 



places, and the heavy davits it hung on were twisted as 

 as if they had been copper wires. Only just in the nick 

 of time, with the waves washing over us, some of us 

 managed to get it lashed to the side of the ship. There 

 seemed to be some fatality about this boat. 



Thursday, August I7th. Still beating eastward under 

 sail and steam through scattered ice, and along a margin 

 of fixed ice. Still blowing hard, with a heavy sea as soon 

 as we headed a little out from the ice. 



Friday, August 1 8th. Continued storm. Stood south- 

 east. At 4.30 a.m., Sverdrup, who had gone up into the 

 crow's-nest to look out for bears and walrus on the 

 ice-floes, saw land to the south of us. At 10 a.m. I went 

 up to look at it we were then probably not more than 

 10 miles away from it. It was low land, seemingly of 



