1 86 Chapter V. 



water ; there was some ice between us and it, but the 

 Fram forced her way through. When we got out, right 

 off the point, I was surprised to notice the sea suddenly 

 covered with brown clayey water. It could not be a 

 deep layer, for the track we left behind was quite clear. 

 The clayey water seemed to be skimmed to either 

 side by the passage of the ship. I ordered soundings 

 to be taken, and found, as I expected, shallower water- - 

 first 8 fathoms, then 6^, then 5^. I stopped now, and 

 backed. Things looked very suspicious, and round 

 us ice-floes lay stranded. There was also a very 

 strong current running north-east. Constantly sounding, 

 we again went slowly forwards. Fortunately the lead 

 went on showing 5 fathoms. Presently we got into 

 deeper water 6 fathoms, then 6^ and now we went 

 on at full speed again. We were soon out into the 

 clear, blue water on the other side. There was quite a 

 sharp boundary line between the brown surface water 

 and the clear blue. The muddy water evidently came 

 from some river a little farther south. 



From this point the land trended back in an easterly 

 direction, and we held east and north-east in the open 

 water between it and the ice. In the afternoon this 

 channel grew very narrow, and we got right under the 

 coast, where it again slopes north. We kept close along 

 it in a very narrow cut, with a depth of 6 to 8 fathoms, 

 but in the evening had to stop, as the ice lay packed close 

 in to the shore ahead of us. 



